She's Fighting Against Breast Cancer

Every October, I raise a wary eyebrow as companies scramble to stamp their brand on Breast Cancer Awareness Month, especially considering how frequently the cause is hijacked for monetary gain; however, one company seems to have found the sweet spot between branding and campaigning tastefully. Evian has launched its #FasterThan initiative to increase awareness about the importance of self-breast exams, and it’s picking up steam. Fronted by Lea Michele, the campaign aims to encourage women to conduct at-home exams by illustrating how quick and easy, not to mention critically beneficial, they really are.

And Evian doesn’t seem to simply be printing pink labels with a nice ribbon for effect — their campaign provides information pertinent to actually raising awareness, letting people know that one in eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, and that the five-year survival rate increases by a staggering 98 percent when caught at an early stage. Its campaign site notes that, according to John Hopkins Medical Center, 40 percent of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer detected a lump, stressing the importance of self examination. “While mammograms can help you detect cancer before you can feel a lump,” reads the site, “breast self-exams help you to be familiar with how your breast look and feel so you can alert your healthcare professional if there are any changes.”

For Leah Michele, doing an at-home exam is “faster than my vocal warm-ups, faster than a curtain call, even faster than a commercial break.” For people of the Internet, encouraging self-exams gets a little more inventive.

Hey, however we can get the word out, right?