Intimacy Doesn’t Stop After Cancer—Says Banging, Nearly NSFW Campaign NSFW
Image via Sophie Waller / BBH London
“Cancer won’t be the last thing that f*cks me,” new punchy billboards proclaim to passersby in parts of London in time for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The head-turning advertisements were commissioned by GIRLvsCANCER, a collective aiming to drive change in the cancer community, and created by advertising agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) London to counter stigma about life and pleasure after a diagnosis.
According to data by Cancer Research UK, half of the population in the country will get cancer sometime in their life. Further statistics by City University London state that “more than 60%” of women with cancer are stifled by sexual dysfunction.
In spite of this, patients aren’t always told how a diagnosis or treatment can have side effects—physical and mental—that may affect their intimate life.
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Real women who have, or have had, cancer were captured in striking imagery by director-photographer Katie Burdon. In videos and a dedicated page for the campaign, they bare their hearts about their experience with physical touch after this uncomfortable chapter in their lives.
“Now, I really like my scar,” one model details, as cited by BBH London. “It reminds me of strength and all the s**t to come out the other side. I see it as a powerful thing so I shouldn’t expect anyone else to see it as anything less than that.”
“Cancer is not in charge. YOU are, babes,” GIRLvsCANCER reminds survivors on its website. “Everybody deserves to feel desired and worthy of a happy, healthy sex life. Taking time to be intimate with your mind, body, and soul is one surefire way to regain a sense of control. Regain your sense of self. And take pleasure firmly back into your own hands. Literally.”
The provocative campaign has been a long time coming. Two years, to be exact, noted Sophie Waller, senior account director at BBH London.
Per the Drum, a member of the agency had just learned about sex toys for women with cancer, and felt compelled to shine a light on sexuality and cancer. This sparked a collaboration with GIRLvsCANCER.
The initiative includes three honest films featuring women reflecting on their fight with cancer. The initial direction was to have them masturbate to climax. However, GIRLvsCANCER founder Lauren Mahon, who found out she had breast cancer in 2016, thought that not everyone in the community would resonate with this gritty approach. Instead, the team went with spreading awareness in a “more digestible” way.
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This was the right call. The finalized project, no matter how powerful and attention-grabbing, still doesn’t strike a chord with all survivors, with some women critiquing that the advertisements seem to objectify patients who have had a difficult experience.
[via The Drum, Famous Campaigns, BBH London, images via various sources]
