Introducing the Pink Bra.
An innovative bra that helps underprivileged women in Pakistan detect breast cancer early.
Introducing the Pink Bra.
An innovative bra that helps underprivileged women in Pakistan detect breast cancer early.
Designed at Tonic International (Dubai based advertising agency) and produced in partnership with Pink Ribbon Pakistan, the Pink Bra turns the everyday action of slipping money inside the bra into a breast cancer self-examination exercise.
Pakistan has the highest incidence rate of breast cancer in Asia. Most women from the lower socio-economic group lack even basic awareness and do not like to speak about it publicly. This silence claimed the lives of 40,000 women in Pakistan, last year alone. Doctor Rufina Soomro, one of Pakistan’s leading breast cancer experts says, “Most women think it’s immoral and inappropriate to speak about breast cancer. These cultural taboos hinder awareness campaigns in Pakistan”. These taboos also make it impossible to speak to underprivileged women about breast cancer.
The Pink Bra is an innovative solution that overcomes cultural taboos and helps women save their own lives.
It borrows from a local insight- underprivileged women tuck money and valuables inside their bra. The idea turned this everyday action into a breast cancer self-examination exercise.
It looks like an ordinary bra but it comes with pockets.
Inside the pockets are raised tactile outlines.
So every time women slip money inside their bra, the raised tactile outlines will guide their hand and tell them where exactly to press to self-examine.
Easy to understand illustrations, inside the bra, explain each step of the self-examination in detail.
Mr. Omer Aftab, CEO and founder of Pink Ribbon Pakistan says, “The Pink Bra is a simple idea that can create awareness amongst many women on the basic standards of self-examination and knowledge that could save their lives.”
To ensure the bra discreetly reaches underprivileged women for free, an online campaign was launched.
The #giveapinkbra movement urged upper-class women to gift the bra to the underprivileged women working around them.
An online video, a microsite, radio and print advertisements set the campaign rolling.
Cristiano Tonnarelli, ECD of Tonic International says, “We are very glad to partner with Pink Ribbon to improve the lives of underprivileged women in Pakistan. The research and execution took long but our efforts are finally paying off. The #giveapinkbra movement is growing every day, overcoming our expectations.”
In a short time, the project has managed to garner support from leading public figures including renowned actors Sanam Saeed and Maria Wasti.
You can visit giveapinkbra.com to know how you can join the cause.
Pink Ribbon Pakistan is a non-funded, self-sustained campaign, mostly supported by donations and driven by a large number of volunteers all over the country. It was founded in 2004, with a mission to become a Centre of Excellence for Breast Care Information. They create widespread awareness throughout Pakistan and empower women and female students with knowledge and techniques to detect breast cancer at an early stage. The survival rate of cancer increases to more than 90% if detected early, Pink Ribbon Pakistan aims to spread this hope to the maximum number of people in the shortest possible time. Pink Ribbon is now in the process of setting up Pakistan’s first dedicated Breast Cancer Hospital to reduce the breast cancer mortality rate.
Credits:
Executive Creative Director:
Cristiano Tonnarelli
Creative Team:
Usman Saleemi
Jaison Ben
Account Manager:
Tiya Fazhelbhoy
Snippet 1:
It’s early evening in Dubai, the creative team at Tonic International have just come up with an idea to help underprivileged women to self-examine for breast cancer. It’s based on a local insight – women from the lower socio-economic group tuck money inside their bra. The team uses this insight to design the Pink Bra.
Pink Ribbon Pakistan is thrilled with the idea and partners with Tonic international in producing the bra in Pakistan.
Snippet 2:
The bra is designed with expert help from doctors and bra manufacturers. It’s well known that women in Pakistan do not speak about breast cancer openly.
However the bra, discreetly teaches underprivileged women to self-test without challenging their cultural taboos.
Snippet 3:
Designing the bra was only half the job done. The challenge was to distribute the bra to underprivileged women and to ensure they get the bra for free. So the creative team tapped into a common observation – upper-class women and employers usually give clothes as gifts to the women working around them.
The team used this observation to start the #giveapinkbra movement.
Snippet 4:
It’s too short a time to know the number of lives the bra has saved. But for now, the response received is extremely positive. Doctors and activists are positive that in the long run, the bra will help save the lives of underprivileged women