There are a few undeniable truths when it comes to the majority of men between the ages of 15 and 40. They like cars; they like beautiful women; and they think they are invincible. Combine these three facts, and you'll understand why our Nutcheck brochure has had such a positive impact.
Testicular cancer is the most common malignancy in young men between the ages of 18 and 35, but detected early, it is also the most curable form of cancer. But since men generally don't want to talk about their testicles with each other, their wives or their doctors, the Canadian Cancer Society of Nova Scotia (CCS-NS) needed to break into their inner circle and speak to them in a way that was far from the commonly used clinical approach.
In using the car metaphor the subject becomes less medical and easier for men to read and talk about. All of a sudden they were engaged, entertained and receptive to the important, potentially life-saving facts. It was also easier for women to give the information to the men in their lives without causing unnecessary concern or being seen as nagging.
It was equally important for us to create a message that was relevant to women since they have enormous influence over the primary male target. To do this we created a magazine cover that is similar to popular women's magazines and titled it Daffodil after the signature image of the Canadian Cancer Society. The message was consistent with the male version; however, positioned in a language that was more appropriate to the female audience and encouraged women to make their men aware.
The brochure has been incredibly successful for CCS-NS. Initially distributed at the Nuts4Ribs festival, the brochures have also been distributed to local universities, medical offices and other special functions throughout Atlantic Canada. A number of other CCS jurisdictions have requested the brochure and are considering making the brochure available for national distribution.