The Brill Building has created a new campaign for the Marie Keating Foundation as part of International Lung Cancer Awareness Month.
The campaign aims to share that the “good news” about lung cancer, is that there is good news. Studies have shown that those most at risk are least likely to get checked, often because they fear ‘bad news’. But early diagnosis and new treatments are improving survival and this campaign is highlighting this and encouraging action to ultimately save more lives through early diagnosis. By creating a story of hope and cautious positivity, the team behind The Big Check Up believe they can counter the biggest barrier to bringing down lung cancer deaths – people’s own misconceptions.
In Ireland, lung cancer is the leading cause of death with just 20% of people diagnosed with the disease surviving beyond five years, following a lung cancer diagnosis. However, the good news for patients is that many countries throughout Europe have improved the management of lung cancer through better risk reduction strategies, diagnosis and treatment.
Created by The Brill Building team of ECD Roisin Keown with creative director Peter Snodden the integrated campaign includes PR, online video, radio, press and social content.
With The Big Check Up, The Marie Keating Foundation aims to raise awareness, level the playing field and help improve survival rates of lung cancer in Ireland over the next decade and has called for further clarity from the National Cancer Control Programme about how lung cancer will benefit from the recent €20m budget allocation. The charity has also outlined seven key areas of focus for investment so that more ‘Good News’ about lung cancer will become a reality for patients in the years to come.
Directed by Brian O’Malley, ‘The News’ tells the story of Colm, who receives a lung cancer diagnosis on his lunch break from work. Fearing the worst and following his diagnosis, Colm makes a phone call in haste, thinking he has nothing left to lose. In his case, he burns all bridges with his boss. However, Colm’s story takes an unexpected turn when his doctor tells him ‘The good news’ about his early diagnosis and highlights the positive news about lung cancer to him.
According to Liz Yeates, CEO of the Marie Keating Foundation: “Our fifth annual lung cancer awareness month awareness campaign is a second iteration of The Big Check-Up, where we are encouraging people to be aware of lung cancer’s early warning signs and to act without delay if they are concerned by calling their GP. Our new short film, The News, has an unexpected ending and this year our message is to focus on the positive news of lung cancer as successive studies have shown that those most at risk are least likely to get checked, often because they fear ‘bad news’.
Peter Snodden, creative director, The Brill Building adds: “We were delighted to be asked by Marie Keating Foundation to bring The Big Check Up back for a second year, after a successful launch in 2021. Looking at the research around behaviour change, two things were clear to us. Far and away the most important tool in the fight against lung cancer is the patient’s own instincts that something may be wrong. However, those most in at risk are least likely to seek a consultation. With the film The News, we wanted to play into that thought, showing what you might do if all hope was lost – and how your perspective may be totally changed if you got the good news that you’d been diagnosed at early stage. We are so lucky to have got the talents of Brian O’Malley and Gary Moore at Saturday Films to partner with us on this important project, and Brian’s personal connection to the material is clear from the power of the film.”
