Prevention is better than cure
In 2008 a vaccine to prevent HPV infection, which is a primary cause of cervical cancer, was licensed for use within the European Union. This vaccine prevents the strains of HPV that are most likely to cause cervical cancer. Essentially, this heralded the start of a long-term strategy in the battle to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer by encouraging all 12- and 13-year-old girls in Scotland to take the vaccine, but it would not deliver immediate results. In the long term, however, it is estimated that immunisation will reduce the number of cases by up to 70%. The series of vaccinations is elective so uptake was by no means guaranteed.
An advertising campaign, developed by The Bridge in Glasgow, was to be supported by our website and online advertising. The tone of the communication was extremely important in this project. It needed to be serious, sensible and credible; not clichéd ‘teen’ or ‘girlie’ chat. But equally it had to be engaging enough to appeal to this young audience (and their parents). It had to be compelling without being alarming and most of all it was required to ‘seal the (mental) deal’ for young girls giving them the information that the TV ads could not convey. All in all, a very tough brief indeed.
The website succeeds in presenting a sensitive story clearly and unemotionally. It uses a mix of rich media content, celebrity endorsement and clear and frank answers to the target audience’s questions and worries.
