BOWEL CANCER AUSTRALIA LAUNCHES AN IRREGULAR VALENTINE’S DAY CAMPAIGN VIA CLEMENGER BBDO
Why give your loved one a regular box of chocolates this Valentine’s Day, when you could give them a box of Irregular Chocolates, with a potentially life-saving message? That’s the message Clemenger BBDO is sending today, as part of a social and PR-led campaign on behalf of Bowel Cancer Australia.
The campaign uses exquisitely designed, 3D printed chocolate to raise awareness of early-onset bowel cancer- the deadliest cancer for people aged 25-44.
Timed to coincide with Valentine’s Day, the Irregular Chocolates campaign leverages the day of love to encourage unconventional and important conversations about poo between loved ones. Because if you really love someone, you can talk about anything. Even the awkward and uncomfortable, even your bowel habit.
The collaboration with chef and food designer Ryan L Foote to create four bespoke Irregular Chocolates representing bowel cancer symptoms – Jammy (blood in your poo), Gooey (an obvious change in your bowel habit), Airy (weight loss you can’t explain) and Chunk (lump or swelling in your abdomen) – for the campaign. The highly premium chocolates are made up of exquisite flavour profiles, that abstractly reflect the symptoms people should look out for when it comes to bowel cancer.
The unique confections are at the centre of the campaign with the video content of Elise’s heartfelt lived-experience. Content was deployed across social media channels, as well as an activation and influencer packs to drive awareness and reach younger Australians. Boxes of the limited-edition boxes of Irregular Chocolates with information cards were also available as part of a giveaway, in the lead up to Valentine’s Day.
“We are grateful to work with Ryan and Clemenger BBDO on this unconventional campaign which aims to overcome the poo taboo and raise symptom awareness in younger people, as bowel cancer deadliest cancer for people aged 25-44.,” Bowel Cancer Australia CEO Julien Wiggins said.
Clemenger BBDO Executive Creative Director Richard Williams said, “To turn around perceptions of bowel cancer, we need to smash stigmas and normalise talking about poo, especially among younger demographics who think bowel cancer can’t affect them. What better way to reach and engage with them than via social. And what better time to launch a chocolate-driven campaign than in the lead up to Valentine’s Day. Because if you really love someone, you can talk about anything.”
Artist, food designer and chocolatier Ryan L Foote added, “Art is an incredible driver of conversation. It’s inspiring to see Bowel Cancer Australia and Clemenger BBDO lean on unique creativity and design in educating and engaging the public on such an important yet under-represented topic. I’m honoured to be a part of it all.”
The Irregular Chocolates campaign runs until 15 February.
TikTok is also providing pro-bono support to amplify the Irregular Chocolates campaign, reaching a younger audience and encouraging them to have an unconventional conversation about the importance of symptoms, given the rising rates of bowel cancer in people under age 50.
Free boxes of the limited-edition boxes of Irregular Chocolates will be available for pick up (one box per couple) from R L Foote Design Student in Clifton Hill, until 5pm today, Wednesday 14 February, while stocks last.
If you can’t get your hands on a box of Irregular Chocolates, consider this as a reminder to talk to your loved ones this Valentine’s Day. If you experience any of these bowel cancer symptoms for two weeks or more, make an appointment with your GP.
Clemenger BBDO
• Richard Williams, Executive Creative Director
• Georgie Winton, Managing Partner
• Huei Yin Wong, Senior Art Director
• Phoebe Sloane, Senior Copywriter
• Gracie Smith, Senior Account Director
• Stephanie Cheung, Business Manager
• Caroline Roe, Head of PR
• Stephanie Punchard, PR Business Manager
• Grace Lavendar, Social Media Content Manager
• Lewis Steele, Head of Social
• Claire Bisset, Executive Director – Digital & Creative
• Lisa Moro, Senior Producer – Digital Production
• Christopher Newlands, Designer / Content Creator
• Jo Howlett, Senior Producer
MADE THIS
• Callum Smit, Lead Producer – Digital Production
• Thomas Pollard, Director / Editor
• Alex Byrne, Content Producer
Ryan L Foote Design Studio
• Ryan L Foote, Founder & Creative Director
• Maddison Ryder, Business Development Manager
Bowel Cancer Australia
• Julien Wiggins, CEO
• Stephanie Bansemer-Brown, National Marketing & Publicity Director
21 Comments
a lot
Great work legend and team
Genius
Love this Phoebe and Huei – beautifully crafted and perfectly timed.
Clever messaging and love all the attention to detail. Great stuff.
Noiceee one Phoebe and Huei! Save me a box 🕺🏼
Things that look like things to talk about things
Incredible work for a great cause!
Well done to all involved.
I also like this alot
Nice stuff
Good cause, great execution. Love it.
I worked at BWM Dentsu Melbourne back in 2018 and this idea was on the proactive wall for about a year…
There is a 1000% correlation between the proactive idea stuck on a wall at bwm in 2018, and this idea from clemsbbdo in 2024. No rolling eye emojis.
Pretty run of the mill. The hype machine shouldn’t try so hard
The same client running an idea that was in development with Dentsu 6 years ago.
Yes it looks like poo. We get it. But zero appetite appeal. What is it meant to solve? Just because something resembles another thing, doesn’t make it a good idea.
Put it in your book!
Sigh.
You see, they could have done a brochure that explained all the different things you need to look for in your poo.
But that would’ve been boring, and gotten no PR or traction online.
So instead, they’ve had a little fun to help educate, and it will probably do more than what a little brochure will do.
Appetite appeal doesn’t matter.
This isn’t rocket science.
The idea is what it is but it’s sad to hear it may have been ripped off. If it was the same creatives who came up with the idea, fair enough and well done. But if it wasn’t… how many people realise the most fun part of our job is coming up with ideas?
Just because someone had a similar idea for the same client several years back, doesn’t mean this version was “ripped off”. Someone somewhere once said, quite pertintently, that ideas are like a$$ holes, everyone has them.
Getting an idea sold and made? That’s a whole other skill set and just as vital.
Bravo Clems.
Strat person here. So what if an idea isn’t completely original, not many ideas are. If it’s been reworked and makes an impact for the client, that’s what matters! Better than an original idea that falls flat. Off your horses.