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Behind the Work in association withThe Immortal Awards
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Why This Canadian Agency Launched a Swimsuit to Educate Wearers About Melanoma Detection

29/05/2023
Advertising Agency
Toronto, Canada
313
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No Fixed Address’ Rena Menkes Hula on designing a swimsuit, the creative choice to embrace a retro vibe, and why more Canadians need to know about the threats of skin cancer, writes LBB’s Josh Neufeldt

According to Melanoma Canada, 80,000 cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in Canada each year. Worse, not only are diagnoses rising by 3%, year over year, but during the pandemic, there were 20-25% fewer biopsies occurring, thereby increasing the number of later-stage diagnoses drastically.

With all this in mind, and seeing as May is ‘Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month’ in Canada, Melanoma Canada partnered with creative agency No Fixed Address to create the ‘Self Assessment Suit’, the first ever set of wearables designed to educate on the early detection of melanoma. Available as either a one-piece bikini or swim trunks, each embraces ‘90s-era design while also sporting a pattern inspired by the ‘ABCDEs’ (five characteristics people should look for when assessing their moles: asymmetry, border, colour, diameter, and evolving), turning a topic people actively avoid thinking about into something they can’t help but pay attention to.

LBB’s Josh Neufeldt sat down with No Fixed Address VP group creative director, Rena Menkes Hula, to learn more about this limited-edition drop, and how this campaign came to life just in time for May 2023. 


LBB> What was the brief, and what immediate ideas came to mind?


Rena> In short, the brief was to find a way to get young people to pay attention to something they often slot to the back of their minds when summer hits. After winter, we all get excited to head out of hibernation, but with the rising rate of melanoma, this is something that cannot be ignored. The challenge was that it had to go beyond awareness. We needed to give people the knowledge they need to detect and prevent.



LBB> This campaign is driven by research, including the fact that 80,000 cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in Canada each year. What was your research process like - what were the main takeaways, and how did they factor into the creative process? 


Rena> The information that this is one of the most common cancer types found in young adults (aged 15-29), and that rates of biopsies were down 20-25% due to the pandemic was really eye-opening. It let us know that people don’t know what to look for - something that is cause for concern - and helped us hone in on ideas that put the diagnostic tool front and centre. We didn’t want to just tell people to look for signs, we knew we had to find a new way to show them the signs.



LBB> Where did the idea of creating a swimsuit come from? And beyond that, what made it the perfect solution to spreading melanoma awareness?


Rena> We realised early on that context was going to be our biggest asset. Nobody wants to think about skin cancer. The fact that the carefree, fun-in-the-sun mentality we all embrace could land you in a cold, sterile doctor's office was what we wanted to play off of. We didn't want to take people out of that moment, but we needed them to pay attention before it's too late. So, we decided to take the tool out of its traditional setting and use design to make it feel seamless to the occasion. The swimsuit made it relevant, and the design made people look twice. 


LBB> And what was the actual design process like? How long did it take, and how did you balance fashion and ensuring the suit reflected the ‘ABCDEs’?


Rena> We actually designed the print in-house! The challenge for our team was that we needed to remain true to the diagnostic tool in order for the work to be effective… while also looking to design trends in the space to make sure the suit felt fresh. So, it was a balance between understanding the early detection signs and not losing sight of them in the excitement of bringing to life a pattern that was eye-catching.



LBB> The accompanying spot is super fun! What was the shooting process like, and do you have any anecdotes from on-set? 


Rena> It looks fun because it was fun! Literally, a day at the beach. The idea was just for our models to have a good time and for us to capture it naturally. It was important that we stayed true to the occasion and that the pattern could do both things - be effective and look wearable and cool. 

We were all hoping for a sunny day, and not only was it sunny, but it was also HOT. We were very lucky (especially the models) that it felt like summer the one day we were shooting. We all ended up having to use the sunscreen on set to protect ourselves. And, it was cold and rainy the day after! Sometimes, the odds are with you.



LBB> What made a retro-style ad the perfect creative choice, and how did you capture this feeling effectively? 


Rena> Once we nailed down the ‘90s nostalgic look and feel of the print, we naturally leveraged that energy for the spot. We wanted it to feel retro without the vibe burying the message. We pulled a lot of inspiration from ‘90s beach-centric TV shows. It was super fun to look back and see some of the common creative decisions from that time: the mix of Steadicam and hand-held, the film quality, and the overly-directed transitions. And, of course, shooting 4:3 gave us authenticity right out of the gate!


LBB> The music and voiceover are also excellent! How did you bring these aspects to life?


Rena> For these, we continued to really lean into the ‘90s vibe. Specifically, we cast for ‘Your girlfriend who will tell it to you like it is’. That spunky character we created in our mind - against the rock-synth tracks that defined the early ‘90s - really brought the vibe to life.  



LBB> Ensuring this was out right in time for May would have been no small task. As such, how long was the process from start to finish?


Rena> Knowing that we needed a contextual element, we started thinking about this around the end of last summer, and shot late fall. That gave us enough time to have the footage in the can, hone the message, and launch a plan with our partners at Melanoma Canada.



LBB> What challenges have you faced during this project? How did you overcome them?


Rena> Balancing all the things. Design and diagnostic tools, the carefree tone and the seriousness of the topic; we were constantly checking in with ourselves and Melanoma Canada to ensure we were respecting the cause. That safety really allowed us to keep to the intention of the work, while still being out-of-the-box for the category.


LBB> What has the initial response been like? 


Rena> There’s been a ton of positive sentiment, which is great! I’d like to shout out Fiona Stevenson, CEO of The Idea Suite. Fiona published a vulnerable post on LinkedIn about her experience with melanoma, and discussed how our ‘Self-Assessment Suit’ might have shaken her complacency and made her seek medical attention sooner.



LBB> Is there anything you’d like to add?


Rena> To learn more about detecting and preventing skin cancer, everyone should have this video from Melanoma Canada saved! 

Aside from that, this campaign proved to us that there is a creative way to lighten up - but still respect - a heavy conversation. Reframing things like this is always a challenge, but if you stay true to the data and tools at your disposal, there are endless creative solutions to reach people in different ways. 

Finally, for Canadians interested in getting a suit, although we already did a limited edition drop through Melanoma Canada on Instagram, as demand continues to grow, we plan to do a second drop later this summer!


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