VMLY&R and Monolith Studios create ‘Sunny Death Metal’ song for skin cancer PSA
VMLY&R – WPP’s Brand and Customer Experience Agency and Monolith Studios have created the world’s first-ever death metal Public Service Announcement for Skin Cancer – ‘Sunny Death Metal.’ Hellios, the band formed by Chris Themelco from Monolith Studios, has created “the first brutally honest song about the sun”. Sunny Death Metal is two minutes of heavy music that connects Australians with a heavy, hard-to-swallow message about the sun.
The track – released earlier this year – already received national airplay on Triple J and is available to stream on most streaming services – including Apple Music and Spotify.
Following the initial release, Sunny Death Metal is now introducing a digital experience in partnership with sun and skincare company Standard Procedure. The bespoke multi-purpose web experience hosts the music, facts about melanoma and a shop selling merch and Standard Procedure sunscreen – where 100% of sales generated are donated to Melanoma Patients Australia to help fund skin cancer research.
Says Zepha Jackson, co-founder, Standard Procedure Sun and Skincare: “Standard procedure sun block was born under the harsh Australian summer sun – created to offset the devastating effects of melanoma; the most common cancer diagnosis in young Australians, with more than 16,000 diagnoses last year. So often PSAs are too easy to ignore – but Sunny Death Metal punches above its weight – connecting people to the heart of a prevention-driven message in a completely new way. We’re happy to donate 100% of our sunscreen sales on sunnydeathmetal.com to Melanoma Patients Australia – to continue fighting the good fight and keeping Australians protected.”
Says Ben Davis, executive creative director, VMLY&R: “The effects of skin cancer are devastating. So, we hope to get heads banging, people checking their skin, and SPF applied to prevent future skin cancer diagnoses. We believe death metal can save lives.”
For more info or to donate and help those affected by skin cancer, visit http://sunnydeathmetal.com/
Follow along on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunny_death_metal/
Band: Hellios
Donation Partner: Standard Procedure Sun & Skincare
Zepha Jackson, Founder
Creative Agency: VMLY&R
Paul Nagy, Chief Creative Officer AUNZ
Benjamin Davis, Executive Creative Director
Guido Pacego, Head of Art
Cameron McDonald, Senior Art Director
Shaun McMahon, Senior Copywriter
Phil Vale, Senior Art Director
Griffin Englander, Post Specialist
Wiremu Smith, Senior Designer
Production Agency: Monolith Studios Melbourne
Music: Chris Themelco
Lyrics: Chris Themelco and Shaun McMahon
30 Comments
This is heaps of fun. Well done
Lol. This is the good sort of funny. Bring back this sort of thinking to AUS
This is hardcore. In a good way.
This is great. Super fun.
This is hot.
Epic work, Cambo. Definitely worth cracking open a bottle of champers for.
Ich liiiiiiebe
Well done! This is sizzling!
Are death metal fans specifically the audience who need to be targeted about sun safety? Are they the most at risk group? Death metal has a niche listenership and last time I checked they weren’t the sun-tanning, outdoorsy types.
It’s also an audio-only PSA, but the lyrics are incomprehensible. So even if I wasn’t into death metal, but heard it, I wouldn’t understand the message.
It’s creatively different and I applaud that. The first honest song about the sun is a great idea. But it falls down on execution. And using MPA as a client reeks of trying to scam awards.
esh
I don’t get it?
Why is it specifically death metal?
Because skin cancer causes death?
I didn’t understand a word of that.
SPREAD LOVE LIKE BUTTER BABY xx
1. Death metal is seriously niche – hands up everyone who listens to it?
2. Even amongst the 37 people who listen to death metal, there’s absolutely zero guarantee they’ll listen to this. Is it good death metal? I dunno, and I can’t ask anyone because no one fucking listens to death metal.
3. What. The. Fuck. Are. They. Saying? Even if I’m 1 of the 3 of the 37 people who listen to death metal and actually like this, I can’t make out any of the words.
4. Metal heads burst into flames if they’re exposed to sun. Black eyeliner, Docs, long dark hair, skintight black jeans and black Cannibal Corpse t-shirt aren’t exactly beachwear.
5. No word of mouth. People who listen to death metal were ostricised by pretty much everyone back in 1983 already. Even if I’m the 1 of the 3 of the 37 people who listen to this, like it, and stick with it long enough to decipher the lyrics, who the fuck do I tell? Satan, presumably. And he’s not worried about sunshine.
This is soooo fresh.
If it was about road safety then the death and the metal maybe make sense. But skin cancer? Why not ska, because it leaves a scar when they cut the cancer out of you? At least you’d be able to understand the freaking words.
That’s such a suit idea.
More than two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime. About 2,000 Australians die from skin cancer each year. Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world.
Fuck you Unlike Aldi, I listen to death metal. But I don’t tan. And neither do most of us. We’re already pretty sun-smart. And just general smart.
Songwise – it’s generic, but it’s well produced. I can understand the lyrics. But you’re right. We death metal people are more likely to sport fake tan so we fit in with the living. No sun involved at all. Surf music aka Jack Johnson, that might be a better audience of already well-educated people about the effects of the sun on your skin.
That’s very funny. And you’re a c*@t.
This song alone is not going to cut through on the required messaging…
‘No one likes heavy metal!’
‘It’s too loud!’
‘I don’t understand it!’
You don’t need to be a boomer to hear, this fails the basic criteria of a piece of communication.
To communicate something to a relevant audience.
No wonder work is so dry and boring in Australia. Just enjoy a fun idea ffs.
Plenty of people listen to metal.
Good Things festival sold out Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney a couple of months ago with a metal and punk lineup.
Not that long ago I was one of tens of thousands watching Slayer headline Download Festival in Parramatta Park.
Even Medibank ran a TVC profiling a metal-loving employee of theirs a couple of years back.
This is funny and different. Keep it up.
Oh yeah! I am one of those dorks who actually listens to death metal, and I have to say that this is very well done. The music is on-point and they lyrics are fun as. Way to go Shaun and team.
Ignorant. Nothing in your comment holds any truth. We don’t all wear that. We are not ostracised and Death Metal didn’t exist in 1983. Just because YOU don’t like it doesn’t mean it many don’t. Go back you your Harry Styles playlist and boat shoes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yLgxkXwjrw
https://www.adsoftheworld.com/campaigns/the-dark-side-of-sugar