Costa Rican retailer beats censors for a cause, plays breast cancer tutorial in-store (partial nudity)

In Costa Rica, retail and home appliance chain Gollo produced a breast cancer self-exam tutorial (censored version above) last October, the Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  

 

A third of the chain’s customer base is comprised of women. And Costa Rica accounts for the second highest rate of breast cancer in LatAm and the Caribbean, according to the country’s Instituto Nacional de la Mujer (Women’s National Institute).

 

But given the cultural taboo with topless women, the video featuring a shirtless woman examining her breasts was rejected by TV and digital media.

 

So the chain, with agency McCann San Jose, decided to play the video on TV screens at its own stores, of which there are 130 across Costa Rica. The uncensored video aired during October and reached an audience of 1.3 million in stores – in a country of just 4.5 million people, according to a note from McCann.

 

Besides scoring on social media conversations, the campaign managed to gain public support from Costa Rica’s First Lady.

 

Credits

 

Agency: McCann San José

Cliente: Gollo

Product: Corporate

General creative director: Brian Maynard

Creative director: Huelander Escalante

Copywriter: Kevin Brenes

Art director: Juan José Ulate

Design artist: Bryan Bertozzi

Producer: Lucía Salas

Post Production: Omar Moreno

Client approval: Eduardo Córdoba