Men & Cancer Campaign

The Brief
Research revealed that 1 in 5 men report feeling depressed, anxious, or even suicidal following a cancer diagnosis. Many feel pressure to stay silent, hide their emotions, and "soldier on." In response, we were briefed to create a campaign that encourages men with cancer to have more open conversations and seek support — particularly through Macmillan’s phone support line.

The Creative Solution
We developed a campaign centred around the insight that men often avoid discussing their health. Campaign packs were distributed to workplaces and sports clubs — key environments where men naturally gather. These included awareness posters that contrasted what is said in typical conversations with what’s left unsaid.

To bring this to life, we used UV gloss to hide emotionally significant words within the posters’ headlines — making them hard to spot unless viewed in the right light. This visual device powerfully reflected the unspoken emotional struggles many men face.

The campaign carried the unifying message: "Let’s talk about what you can’t talk about." Fundraising activities were also brought under this message, and the concept was further amplified through a series of three short online films.

The campaign’s strength lies in its simplicity — clearly highlighting both the problem and the path to support.