Refreshed #DumbBurn Skin Cancer Prevention Campaign

January 23, 2020

The Health Promotion Agency has launched a refresh of their skin cancer prevention campaign, '#Dumbburn', which will run through until the end of February 2020. 

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:

• Avoid #DumbBurn this summer
• Protect your skin when you are outside. Be SunSmart Slip, Slop, Slap and Wrap.
• Sunburn from UV radiation is inconvenient, looks stupid and gets in the way of having fun this summer.
• For more information see SunSmart.org.nz
  

Order free resources to display in your workplace.

Share the #DumbBurn Facebook and Instagram pages. 

You could also promote the campaign on your website or in your next newsletter, and include some things that young people can do to be SunSmart this summer.

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.

While previous campaigns have focused on how to protect yourself (Slip, Slop, Slap and Wrap), this campaign focuses on what motivates young people to protect themselves against ultraviolet (UV) damage.

The campaign

This summer’s campaign focuses on areas where young people work and socialise, including beaches and festivals. New social media channels including Facebook and Instagram have been created along with refreshed, engaging content that focuses on the inconvenience of sun burn ie, pain and inconvenience to their life, embarrassment, and appearance-based cues such as unattractive tan lines and peeling.