Australia’s leading female music artists come together for #itouchmyselfproject for breast cancer awareness via JWT and Soap Creative
She sang it. She shouted it. And we couldn’t help but listen. Now Chrissy wants us to hear her words again. For breast cancer awareness. Chrissy gave us this song. This is her divine wish. Touch yourself.
Family and friends have recorded the song as a tribute to the iconic Australian vocalist who passed away from breast cancer almost a year ago.
Some of Australia’s leading female music artists – including Olivia Newton-John, Kate Ceberano, Deborah Conway, Little Pattie and Suze Demarchi – came together to reincanate Chrissie Amphlett’s anthem, which was directed by Daniel Askill, Lorin Askill and Joel Pront via Collider.
The #itouchmyselfproject campaign was commissioned by Cancer Council NSW and created by JWT Sydney together with digital agency Soap Creative and PR agency Hill & Knowlton. The Project will be officially launched on Wednesday alongside a photographic exhibition at the Blender Gallery in Sydney.
Says Simon Langley, executive creative director, JWT Sydney: “Transforming perception and changing behaviour is what JWT is all about. It’s a shocking fact that so many Australian women develop breast cancer, so as a tribute to Chrissy we approached her husband and fellow band member, Charley Drayton, with the idea of turning her song ‘I Touch Myself’ into a breast cancer anthem to help continue to raise awareness of this disease.
“When Chrissy sang ‘I Touch Myself’, you couldn’t help but listen. Now the I Touch Myself Project makes sure her voice is heard loud and clear for a different reason, for breast cancer prevention.”
Marking the first anniversary of Chrissy’s passing on 21st April 2014, the Inaugural “I Touch Myself Day” asks women to ‘touch themselves’, reminding them to get to know the look and feel of their breasts. The project invites the general public to share how they’ve been touched and pass on their message.
Says Langley: “Women can show how they’ve been touched by using the hashtags and posting a message or selfie about their own breast cancer experience or leave a message of support for someone they know who has been touched by breast cancer.
“We hope the campaign will become a media and social media phenomena creating a movement that comes together on the 21st of April every year to raise awareness of breast cancer. We’re incredibly proud as an agency to bring such an important issue as breast cancer awareness to the forefront and we are honoured to work with so many wonderful singers and in particular Chrissy’s family and friends to continue her legacy.”
Says Kathy Chapman, director of Cancer Programs at Cancer Council NSW: “We know that by the age of 85, one in eight Australian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. However, detecting breast cancer early is the most important factor in beating this disease. Through this campaign we are encouraging women to get to know their breasts better, to know what is normal for them and to participate in breast screening if they’re in the right age range. At different ages there are various steps women can take to help detect breast cancer early, however at any age if women have any concerns they should contact their doctor.”
Agency: JWT Sydney
ECD: Simon Langley & Mark Harricks
General Manger: Jenny Willits
Agency Producer: Vicky Ryan
Senior Art Director: Alexandra Antoniou
Senior Writers: Sylvianne Heim; Sinead Roarty
Account Management: Paul Everson; Caroline Ludwell; Monica Tobin; Ali Clemesha
TV Production: Tommie McSweeney
Executive Planning Director: Angela Morris
Digital Strategy: Trevor Crossman
Production Company: Collider
Directors: Daniel Askill, Lorin Askill & Joel Pront
Executive Producer: Rachael Ford-Davies
Producers: Charity Downing; Olivia Hantken
DoP: Russel Boyd
Music Producer: Clive Young
SOAP Creative
Creative Partner: Brad Eldridge
Executive Creative Director – Digital: Ashadi Hopper Technology Director: Mark Fennel
Senior Digital Producer: Charlotte Ludlow
12 Comments
Beautiful work. Very touching (excuse the pun).
Really nicely done…
Really moved. Advertising for the good! Well done JWT! Nicely done.
Very nice work.
But please can we talk of the other types of cancer now? You know the ones that crucially need help like pancreatic cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer.
I’m trying right now, they need awareness and mostly money…too.
When listening to Deb Conway on radio this morning she said the idea to use the song for breast cancer was Chrissy Amphlett’s. If that’s the case – please ensure she is credited. Either way, it’s a wonderful campaign – and all involved has every right to feel proud.
Yes it was Chrissy’s idea but this is a great tribute.
http://vimeo.com/38307046
Fantastic work you guys. Such a simple idea. And so beautifully executed. I love it.
Like I said – wonderful campaign and a great credit to all involved – but it’d be nice to also include Chrissy in the credits. Watch the last couple of mins of ‘Chrissy fan said’ 12:07pm link and I think you’d all agree. And that’s not to detract from the great job everyone at JWT has done. In fact, I think the industry would feel all the more goodwill towards JWT if they did.
Excellent work. Well done JWT and Chrissy.
I think it is a fantastic song to be used for breast cancer awareness thank you to Chrissy Amphlett. Can we now have a song for “Ovarian Cancer “the silent killer of women and our reproductive organs please JWT
I know its for Breast Cancer but the power of this kind of campaign is that it reminds women it be alert to any changes in their bodies – breasts or otherwise.
Well done everyone involved.
Credits for the singers might have been nice Simon, and Collider.