Provocative and unique online campaign to bring awareness to Colorectal
Cancer Screening is launched - www.getyourbuttseen.ca

MONTREAL, March 17 /CNW/ - As part of its March awareness month kick off, the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada (CCAC) has launched a unique campaign to encourage Canadian men and women to show their butts online so as to raise awareness about the importance of getting screened for colorectal cancer.

Created by the Ogilvy Montreal advertising team, the campaign includes an online campaign, transit ads, digital boards, and a TV commercial. The online campaign can be found at: www.getyourbuttseen.ca in English and www.faitesvoirvosfesses.ca in French. The CCAC's instant classic TV commercial promoting the campaign can be seen on Youtube in English : http://bit.ly/a9WCel and in French at http://bit.ly/cZeiGX

Online users can upload images of different bottoms that appear to have been taken by a photocopier or upload an image of their own backside and then send it to their friends via e-mail or for posting on Facebook. Users can select a preexisting photo of a sensational butt using a list of characteristics (sex, age, size and style) presented in a drop down menu. As the steps to send the image are completed, the user is presented with facts and statistics about colorectal cancer.

The site also links to the CCAC Facebook page and website, ensuring that visitors can find all the information they want on the disease. On March 31, Facebook users are being asked to post the uploaded image of their selected butt as their profile picture in a demonstration of solidarity in the battle against colorectal cancer.

"We wanted to create an edgy campaign that would encourage individuals to start a conversation about colon cancer. It is so important to get people to overcome their reluctance to talk about the disease, because we know that once people start to talk about it, they will eventually act on their knowledge and get screened. We had to create something that would be a little controversial and provocative to initiate the conversation, and Ogilvy Montreal was the perfect partner in helping us realize our goal," said Barry D. Stein president of the CCAC.

The subject of colorectal cancer and screening are still considered taboo for many people, said Martin Gosselin, vice-president and creative director at Ogilvy Montreal. The campaign is meant to remind people of the benefits of early detection in a playful way," Gosselin added.

The CCAC is grateful to its many other sponsors and partners across the country who are helping to ensure the success of this campaign including Newad, The Weather Network, METROMEDIA, Onestop, Rogers media, TSN.ca, Canoë, AOL and Astral Media and Publicité Sauvage, all of whom have collaborated to help spread the word. "Without the creative spirit and collaboration of so many partners, this campaign could not have been realized. Our hope is that when people see how much fun it is they will send it to their friends and more people will become aware that this is a disease that is Preventable, Treatable and Beatable!," Stein said.

About Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer, cancer of the colon or rectum, is the second leading cause of cancer death in Canada. Though highly preventable and curable when detected early, an estimated 22,000 Canadians were diagnosed with colorectal cancer last year, and approximately 9,100 died from it. An almost equal number of men and women are affected by colorectal cancer. One in 14 men and one in 16 women are expected to develop the disease during their lifetime. One in 28 men and one in 31 women will die from it.

About the CCAC

The Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada is the country's leading non-profit organization dedicated to increasing awareness of colorectal cancer, supporting patients and advocating for national screening and timely and equal access to effective treatment options to improve patient outcomes.

Visit the CCAC website, www.colorectal-cancer.ca, for up-to-date information on colorectal cancer or call the toll-free number, 1.877.50.COLON (26566) to order free copies of helpful educational materials.

/NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: A photo accompanying this release is available at http://photos.newswire.ca. Images are free to accredited members of the media/

For further information: or to schedule an interview please contact: Lydia Moreyne, Communications CCAC, [email protected], [phone] ext 223, 1 877 5 0COLON (26566); Naz Araghian, GCI GROUP, [email protected], [phone]