‘Break the taboo and check your poo’: Kleenex partners with Bowel Cancer Australia for awareness campaign
Kleenex has teamed up with Bowel Cancer Australia to transform the humble loo roll into an awareness “game changer”, in a new nationwide campaign.
Bowel Cancer Australia is known for its provocative humour in marketing, including its 2019 ‘Golden Nugget’ campaign where young Aussies were given a chance to win a 24-carat solid gold poo, and its campaign featuring the voice of acclaimed comedian and actress Miriam Margolyes in 2023.
This latest campaign, led by We Are Different, is no different. It encourages Aussies to “break the taboo and check their poo”.
A printed loo roll
Australia has the highest rates of early-onset bowel cancer in the world. It is the second deadliest cancer in the country, claiming the lives of 101 Australians every week. But 99% of cases can be treated successfully if found early, according to Bowel Cancer Australia, so this campaign hopes to drive symptom awareness.
Kleenex’s loo rolls will feature printed messages on the cardboard to direct Aussies to a ‘poo check’ website, encouraging them to check for bowel cancer symptoms and take action.
Stephanie Bansemer-Brown, marketing and publicity manager at Bowel Cancer Australia, said this partnership will provide much-needed awareness of the cancer.
As a survivor of stage three bowel cancer, she said she is passionate about helping Aussies recognise symptoms, so “we can make real behavioural change”.
She told Mumbrella: “What better place to break the poo taboo than during toilet-time with Kleenex loo rolls. It makes perfect sense.”
Kleenex’s marketing manager, Joyce Li, agreed, adding: “Thousands of Aussies already trust Kleenex in the bathroom — and this crucial initiative transforms the humble loo roll into a bowel cancer awareness game-changer that helps Aussies to break the poo taboo.”
June also marks Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, the organisation’s signature event to raise awareness of the cancer.
We Are Different led retail activations, influencer engagement, owned social content, and earned media amplification to drive buzz for the campaign. Creative was developed by The Ship, and paid social was managed by Hello.
The agency’s founder and director, Stuart Terry, said the campaign shows the power of creative and collaboration to drive consumer attention.
“The ambition from both Kleenex and Bowel Cancer Australia has been energising from day one,” he told Mumbrella.
“The campaign is driving incredible buzz and engagement, helping increase affinity and ultimately making a difference to people’s lives.”
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