Boobies Basics
Stuff, Stuff and even MORE pink ribbon stuff…
By: Leigh Hurst
By this time of year, it’s likely that you’ve had it up to your eyeballs with the pink ribbon. After all, it’s on virtually everything these days. From your favorite soup, to appliances, to just about any other stuff you can imagine. Breast cancer awareness has quickly become the cause marketer’s dream.
Don’t get me wrong, the iconic pink ribbon has certainly helped to put breast cancer in the spotlight since its introduction in the early 90’s. Who can really argue that having an internationally recognized symbol like the pink ribbon isn’t helpful in illustrating the enormity of this health issue. As evidenced by the thousands of pink ribbon magnets you see on cars, this disease has undoubtedly touched the lives of many.
But when does the use of the pink ribbon cross the line into exploitation or merchandising of a very serious disease? And how can we be sure that the use of the ribbon in the name of “breast cancer awareness” actually translates into what I like to call “breast cancer action”?
Early on in my work with Feel Your Boobies®, we did a casual survey of young women to find out just how much they knew about breast cancer. We asked them very simple questions related to basic breast health like “How often should you feel your boobies?” and “At what age do mammograms start?”. What we found was very interesting. All of them knew that pink ribbon was the symbol for breast cancer, but very few of them knew much beyond that.
In order to make a real difference with this disease, I feel very strongly that we need to focus on “breast cancer action” and I use this basic idea as one of my guiding principles in the way Feel Your Boobies® operates. While our slogan may be funny and even provocative in nature, the real message that we’re spreading is that it’s important to know how your own breasts feel so that you know when a change occurs. We are starting to get testimonials from women who feel that our campaign caused them to begin “feeling their boobies” and as a result they found a lump. That’s what I call “breast cancer action.”
So next time you’re pondering a pink ribbon purchase in the name of “breast cancer awareness” take an extra minute to really think about whether or not what you’re buying is truly making a difference. “Breast cancer awareness” is good, but “breast cancer action” is even better.
