Cancer Chicks and Sea Level launch swimwear collaboration via The General Store
Not-for-profit organisation Cancer Chicks has launched a collaboration with swimwear label Sea Level, with their real life members starring in an inspiring campaign via The General Store, modelling the brand’s designs.
Says Rikki Stern, founder, Cancer Chicks: “Society doesn’t really associate terminal illnesses with vibrant, young women who love fashion. These women were in their 20s and leading their best lives, until their world was turned upside down with unrelenting medical visits and gruelling treatments.
“Working with The General Store and Sea Level, we wanted to challenge those preconceptions and showcase the women’s strength and beauty.”
Cancer Chicks is a community platform for young women navigating cancer and other terminal and chronic illnesses. It was launched by Stern in 2018, who was diagnosed with Stage 2B Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at the age of 20.
After realising there was a lack of assistance for young females experiencing cancer, Stern started Cancer Chicks to help them find a tribe of like-minded individuals and empower them through social events, support programs and employment assistance.
Stern was joined shortly after by co-founder, chairperson and serial entrepreneur Michele Molnar, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 45. During her career, Molnar ran several businesses for more than 30 years and worked with her son Nick Molnar when he launched Afterpay.
As part of the partnership throughout October, fashion retailer Sea Level will also donate $2 for every order placed on the Sea Level website to the Cancer Chicks Foundation.
Says Kerri Chow from Sea Level: “Unfortunately, most of us know someone in our lives who has been affected by cancer or a terminal illness, so we were inspired by Cancer Chicks’ motto, ‘together stronger’, to help shine a light on the women in their community,”
Creative agency The General Store brought Cancer Chicks’ and Sea Level’s partnership to life through campaign concept development and production supervision.
Says Marcus Tesoriero, chief creative officer, The General Store: “Cancer Chicks is such an amazing organisation, giving confidence to young women going through such devastating illnesses.
“We felt the best way to offer support was to empower more of that confidence for the women, featuring the Cancer Chicks as unmissable models for a premium swimwear campaign. And hopefully encourage other brands to make them their ambassadors too.”
The work will feature on social, donated outdoor media and on the Sea Level website to purchase swimwear featuring the Cancer Chicks.
Says Stern: “Our purpose at Cancer Chicks is to enhance the lives of our members and to offer them fun, friendship and support. The General Store has really helped us on our mission and challenged us to think outside of the box. We’re now on the lookout for more brands to get onboard and make our members their ambassadors too.”
Client: Cancer Chicks
Founder: Rikki Stern
Co-founder and Chairperson: Michele Molnar
Chief Operating Officer: Kerri Filler
Sea Level: Kerri Chow
Creative Agency: The General Store
Partner and CEO: Matt Newell
Chief Creative Officer: Marcus Tesoriero
Creative Director: Andrew Jones
Creative: Julia Elton-Bott
Senior Account Director: Kiki Jones
Photographer: Ash Larden
Stylist: Elliot Garnaut
5 Comments
So good for the self-belief of these girls after what they’ve been through.
Empowering work. Well done
Great work for a great cause. Well done.
One question: shouldn’t there be an apostrophe in the ‘Let’s make a difference’ line?
That snagged my eye too.
Great cause, and the intention of this is nice.
But the photography feels really stilted and doesn’t have much of an empowering energy. Feels like this could have done a lot more to visually elevate these amazing women.