Of Pink Footballs, Poolside Catwalk and Breast Cancer!

Breast Cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in women aged 20-49. But the popular misconception surrounding the ailment is that it is a "grandma's disease." Therefore the need that the awareness of the causes of the disease, its prevention and detection be brought to the notice of young women of this world.

How does one do that? Definitely not by distributing promotional flyers bearing the photograph of a 65-year-old woman! That would prove counter-productive with the youngsters tossing away the flyers as soon as they receive them with the message getting lost and elude the target.

Enter into the picture campaigns such as “Pink Footballs” and “Save the Boobs”.

Mexican Football Federation, which is behind the “Pink Footballs” campaign would be using pink coloured footballs during the 36 matches spread over a one month period during the Mexican Apertura 2009 championship coming October. Officials from the Health Ministry of Mexico who will attend the matches would offer advice on prevention and detection of breast cancer to the women coming to the stadiums to watch the matches. 10% of the proceeds from the sale of pink footballs, 30,000 of which are planned to be sold, will go towards combating the dreaded disease.

The 2007 statistics of deaths due to breast cancer report 548,000 casualties worldwide with Mexico accounting for 4,581 deaths. Let’s hope Mexico achieves its immediate mission of spreading awareness and that in the long term fatalities from the disease actually drop over the years.

I don’t know what the Mexican Football Federation has lined up as promotional activities surrounding the event but I just hope it does not transgress the fine line between creative and risque advertising in order to grab the viewers’ attention. Else, there is a risk of the campaign going the way of the other campaign that’s currently on in Canada.

“Save the Boobs” is a campaign promoted by a Canadian firm called ‘Rethink Breast Cancer’ featuring the well-endowed Aliya-Jasmine Sovani (MTV News Canada presenter) as a bikini-clad buxom beauty. In a promotional video she is shown sashaying past a swimming pool to the collective awe of men in the pool as well as women outside. The tagline which goes "you know you like them, now it's time to save the boobs" is certainly an eye-opener and could have had the effect of ‘here today, where tomorrow?’ had it been done properly.

But alas, in an effort to make the commercial teasingly captivating the producers seem to have gone overboard and rather ended up titillating the audience. If their intended purpose was that of “creating a bold way of communicating” to get across “the take-away message that is to be breast aware,” all they have ended up communicating is ‘to be breast beware,’ if I may say so! At least the following couple of viewer responses make me think likewise!

A woman when asked about her opinion by ‘Good Morning America’ said: “It’s pretty offensive. It looks like it’s a Victoria’s Secret or a bathing suit ad. Not an ad about women’s health.” Similarly, in an interview with ABC News a man who said the commercial drew a laugh from him added, “It’s very proactive sexually, but I don’t know if it will communicate the dangers of breast cancer to men who might be compelled to give their wives an exam. Breast cancer is a very serious matter, and I don’t think it should be taken lightly and made fun of.”

Does it all mean that the commercial has lost out with men and women alike? Let me alert that the youtube video at the top of this page is NSFW but if you decide to check the same would appreciate if you share your views. Here’s hoping that the “Pink Footballs” campaign would not draw similar responses. Voice your ideas about what needs to be done and what not to avoid the same!!

- myVox