Clever Boobs-Selling Breast Cancer Awareness

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Duh. It’s pretty hard to miss.

I am always curious as how see the various approaches to “selling” Breast Cancer Awareness. It’s a touchy subject, societies attitudes toward discussing breasts in general are …uh.. bumpy at best. Both functional and sex object, the topic causing grown men to squirm in mixed company or boast when with the guys. Just ask any breastfeeding Mom, to go public or not? That is the question. Or if you don’t see the big deal try this exercise: next “breast cancer awareness” commercial try replacing “breast” with “scrotum” and you pretty much see why people are little gun-shy.

I personally wince at just about every erectile dysfunction ad. That’s mostly over the Massingill-like execution of the ads themselves. Dueling bathtubs? Really?

But I stray… You have to give them credit. Every October, breast cancer organizations valiantly attempt to both raise awareness about breast cancer as well as reduce the public stigma around the topic.  Not easy. I look forward to see their efforts as I do Super Bowl commericals– sometimes you’re treated to some really clever, innovative and just plain good ads and grassroots outreach.

Some do by facts.

Some do by color.

Some do by shock.

Some do by touching appeal.

Some do it by being just plain authentically real.

Like my chica Jamie Inman.

Her  Stay In the Pink website dedicated to raising awareness about a cancer that affected her not once, but twice. Her earnestness and I’ve-been-there experience is so authentic, so charming, the delivery cannot help but hit home.

Recently she put her message where her mouth is on YouTube.

Lastly, some do it with humor.

Which of all ways to “sell” an uncomfortable topic, nothing beats humor in my book.

It breaks the ice. It gets RT and YouTubed and forwarded on in email. It gets chatted up by the boys over beer. It spreads like wildfire and eases viewers into the message. Perhaps making them a bit more receptive to the next encounter or impression, and with something like Breast Cancer, I doubt any organization cares who got you to go get the mammogram, just that you got one.

Check out a few faves straight from the humor dept.