Mollie’s Fund Wins Titanium Award for Skin Cancer PSA: “Mr. Sun”

More than 800 industry leaders attended the annual MM&M Awards at Wall Street’s Cipriani Restaurant on Oct. 19th.  These winners represent the best in creativity, effectiveness, healthcare marketing, communications and media.  Mollie’s Fund’s “Mr. Sun”, created by Area 23, captured the prestigious Titanium Award for Best in Show.  Reaves West, this year’s Chair of Judges, gave the film high praise for how it’s “changed the discussion around a disease.”  The PSA had 2 million video views and 1.2 million media impressions. 

In this chilling film, presented by Mollie’s Fund, also known as the Mollie Biggane Melanoma Foundation and supported by the Miracle Foundation, a heartrending story about the dangers of sunbathing at a young age is played out in reverse over the soundtrack of the classic kids’ song “Mr. Sun.”

The film opens with a young woman on her deathbed then moves backwards as she endures chemo-therapy, receives the grim diagnosis, first notices the mole on her arm and lastly, as a young girl sunbathes unprotected in a bikini.

Parents were the target audience for this audacious reminder about the effects of careless sunning. It was created by Area 23, an FCB Health Network Company, whose Creative Team is led by Tim Hawkey.  “Mr. Sun” was astutely directed by Kasra Farahani of LA’s Chromista.

The story gains relevance by ending with an innocent young girl instead of a cancer patient.  Jack and Maggie Biggane, parents of Mollie who succumbed to melanoma at the young age of 20, hope it will lead parents to pause and consider the devastating effects that can result from careless habits. 

No stranger to industry awards, Mollie’s Fund and Area 23 also collaborated last year on “Free Killer Tan”, capturing a Gold Effie for disease awareness and Silver for youth marketing – in the  teens and young adults category.  This video targeted young adults in a persuasive viral social media campaign that attracted millions.  Their other collaboration, the 2017 Cannes Lions award winning print campaign ad, “Melanoma  Monster”, continues to shock pedestrians as they encounter the life-sized monster lurking under a mole.  Through their imaginative, often disruptive public service announcements, Mollie’s Fund continues to rattle the public, educating them that skin cancer is both preventable and a matter of life or death. 

Links

http://www.mmm-online.com/awards/

http://www.molliesfund.org/

https://www.area23hc.com/

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