What's your look - don't make it #dumbburn: Latest Health Promotion Agency skin cancer prevention campaign
February 8, 2019
The Health Promotion Agency has recently launched a new skin cancer prevention campaign, 'What's your look? - don't make it #Dumbburn', which will run through until mid-March 2019.
The campaign targets young people aged 18 to 24 in social or workplace settings. This is when young people are more independent and evidence shows that they are at greater risk of sunburn through over exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR).
The key messages of the campaign are:
- Not protecting yourself from ultraviolet radiation gets in the way of fun – it’s painful, a real hassle and is not a great look in front of your mates.
- Protect yourself in the sun. Be SunSmart Slip, Slop, Slap and Wrap.
- For more see SunSmart.org.nz.
Why focus on sunburn?
Research shows that although most young people know how to protect themselves from the harm of UVR, they often don’t take the required steps to do so. Therefore while previous campaigns have focussed on how to protect yourself (Slip, Slop, Slap and Wrap), this campaign focuses more on what motivates the target audience to be SunSmart - the immediate consequences of getting sunburnt ie, pain and inconvenience to their life, embarrassment, and appearance based cues such as unattractive tan lines, peeling. While young people have some awareness of the harm of UVR, the possibility of developing skin cancer in the future is not as motivating to them as the more immediate consequences of sunburn.
The campaign
The campaign uses outdoor advertising (particularly in areas within 500m of parks, beaches or playgrounds, hardware stores for workers and DIYers, plus high foot traffic areas where people are out in the sun). It also uses highly targeted Facebook, Instagram and YouTube channels.
Get behind the campaign - promotional resources available
A full suite of free promotional resources are available. These include three video advertisements, posters and online banners. There are also resources for workplaces where people work outside. To see the full suite of campaign resources on the campaign page click here.