Children's Cancer Center - because cancer does not wait.

Is the country really engulfed in a million issue? Do we have problem on top of a problem? Are we dealing with literally, an existential crisis? Yes, and yes and yes. But this does not negate that cancer does not give a hoot about any of this. It does not care, it does not wait, it does not take a break. It is here. It is relentless. And the children fighting it also neither can afford to delay or adjourn their chemo sessions, radiation and medicine. The Children's Cancer Center Lebanon (CCCL) has a timely ad. One that is dignified all while conducting the final message without being petty. A very delicate rope to walk, but one they managed to do.

IPT, because it is always time for your health

Oh so IPT has a new hit on their hands right bang after the one they just released (here). Yes, yes, no one has time for "this". And this is precisely what makes the ad timely and interesting. "Now is not the time, I barely have time to look at myself in the mirror. Now is the time to take care of my children, protect them, and not let them worry. Now is not the time, let me handle the household expenses. Not the time, I need to keep my business moving, am afraid it will stop. Keep the cancer mammography among your priorities in all cases, because it is always time for your health". Because, yes, Pink October! Because of course, what's with everything happening in Lebanon, the government pitching in the price of mammography is not on anyone's high list. But, as the ad goes "it's always time for your health."

Mohamad Kaaki goes bez-ness as usual for breast cancer awareness

Well, I admit I have not seen it before. I mean there were always (to quote Paul Simon) "hints and allegations" the closest of which was AUBMC (here), but Mohamad Kaaki (here) goes all out - as in all out calling a spade a spade, and a nipple a nipple (here). You might remember Mohamad from this post here. Now Mr. Kaaki goes on to do some interesting copy, such as "for your son to grow up next to you, take care of your nipple" (it rhymes in Arabic mind you), "take care of your nipple", "your nipple is a source of inspiration, taking care of it is an obligation", "the nipple is for the gentry, and more important than bread" (this is a riff on the proverb "rice is for the gentry and crushed wheat hung itself" - but Kaaki's take is not top notch truth be told), "take care of your nipple, for you to remain alive" (again, in Arabic it sort of works). 

Well, the shock value is of course - saying the word nipple rather than working around it. For this alone Kaaki's take is interesting. And if this is not enough, Kaaki has a hashtag to accompany all this which instead of saying "campaign" switches it to another word for nipple (in this case "hamla" to "halma"). So the tag becomes #nipple_breast_cancer - a lot to unpack but heck, Kaaki went all the way with this.

And if he got our attention, what more do we want from an ad?

Uterine cancer awareness campaign

Now this is a new one. Not breast cancer (which takes away all the spotlight, and here I remember the remarkable "I wish I had breast cancer" campaign - here) but rather uterine campaign. The whole thing is backed by a great copy "to doubt is to have peace of mind" - because the whole idea is that if you doubt you have it, talk to your doctor and see if it is true.

Mind you, this is but one of two campaigns - and shy campaigns at that - which graced our OOH networks in all of February, not usually known as a slow month (usually, January takes the mantle in being slow). But again, the ad works, but I wish the Uterine cancer thingy was more prominent in the ad despite the very good leading copy.

Brand360 does cancer awareness.

We already have seen it in all shapes and forms. the October breast cancer awareness month thingy... So simply coming up with a new angle is a miracle onto itself. From my archive two iterations stand out from the pack (here and here). What I like in the Brand360 interpretation is that they actually found an angle I did not see before. OK maybe the copy is a bit too descriptive "game" (tic tack toe) and get checked (X)... But on the whole I have never seen this visual interpretation prior. So at least very worth of mention.

Oil & Gas 1 - United

Hmmm difficult brief. How do you associate oil with cancer awareness? No matter how you turn it, does not work. United cane up with: "take care of your body same way you do with your car" - a pink refill hose in the shape of the cancer awareness completes the idea. Seriously, when one gas such a complicated brief, no winder the result is surrealistic to the limit. 

Spinney's, cancer, and CCCL

Well "By buying Spinneys products you'll be donation (sic) to Children's Cancer Center of Lebanon (CCCL)" which is in dire need for funding. Actually, yes, the initiative is laudable. Now "cancel cancer" has been done million times prior and now a cliche. Add a "can" to it and it all sounds like a broken record. Well, at least the cause is worth it - maybe if they added an L in the end they could have ended up with C(an) C(ancel) C(ancer) L which is the acronym of the Children's Cancer Center of Lebanon. Whatever it is, the add is a little too odd to make sense.