Novartis: Cherries
Novartis Slovakia tasked Kreativna Dvojica with increasing mammography screening rates among women aged 45 to 74. Despite free access, 70% of women avoided screenings due to cultural taboos regarding breast touch. The client needed a communication strategy to normalize medical examinations and drive measurable increases in appointments, effectively overcoming the deep-seated shame and modesty that hindered national cancer prevention efforts.
Creative Idea
Re-recorded a famous song to turn a symbol of modesty into a medical plea.
To overcome deep-seated cultural taboos preventing breast cancer screenings, Novartis re-recorded a legendary Slovak song about 'untouchable cherries' with survivors, transforming the lyrics into a powerful, life-saving invitation for women to allow a mammogram to touch their breasts.
Turning A Cultural Taboo Into A Plea
A Song Reclaimed By Survivors
The campaign centered on the iconic 1980s chanson Čerešne, originally performed by Hana Hegerová. By re-recording the track with actual breast cancer survivors, the agency shifted the song's narrative. What was once a defiant anthem about guarding one's body against unwanted touch became a vulnerable, life-saving invitation to prioritize health. The music was produced by Fatmusic, featuring Juraj Marikovič and Viktor Hazard, ensuring the emotional weight of the original composition remained intact while serving a new, urgent purpose.
Measurable Shifts In Public Health
The impact of the campaign was significant, resulting in a 49% increase in screenings at certified mammography centers. Beyond the clinical data, the campaign achieved a 29.1% spontaneous recall rate, positioning it as the most recognized breast cancer prevention initiative in Slovakia. Behavioral intent was equally strong, with 86% of women surveyed expressing a willingness to book a mammogram after engaging with the content.
Navigating Regulatory Hurdles
The production faced unique challenges due to strict pharmaceutical marketing regulations in Slovakia. While the agency developed branded T-shirts featuring the campaign's signature logo—two cherries on a stem bent into the shape of a pink awareness ribbon—they were legally prohibited from distributing them to the public. To bypass these restrictions, the team focused their efforts on the digital hub kontrolaceresni.sk, which served as the primary tool for mapping local screening centers and providing interactive guidance. The project was brought to life through the production expertise of Jánošíci, with Viliam Janosik serving as both director and photographer.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
Novartis leveraged its authority in oncology to provide free, accessible mammography screening resources across the Slovakian healthcare system.
Category
Healthcare campaigns typically rely on clinical, fear-based messaging that often fails to penetrate deep-seated cultural modesty and shame.
Customer
Women felt a conflict between their cultural upbringing regarding modesty and the urgent need for life-saving medical prevention.
Culture
The iconic status of the song 'Čerešne' provided a perfect, pre-existing cultural vehicle to dismantle the taboo of breast touch.
Company
Novartis leveraged its authority in oncology to provide free, accessible mammography screening resources across the Slovakian healthcare system.
Category
Healthcare campaigns typically rely on clinical, fear-based messaging that often fails to penetrate deep-seated cultural modesty and shame.
Strategy:
Subvert cultural symbols to dismantle behavioral taboos and drive urgent public health action.
Customer
Women felt a conflict between their cultural upbringing regarding modesty and the urgent need for life-saving medical prevention.
Culture
The iconic status of the song 'Čerešne' provided a perfect, pre-existing cultural vehicle to dismantle the taboo of breast touch.
Strategy:
Subvert cultural symbols to dismantle behavioral taboos and drive urgent public health action.
Results
The campaign achieved over 20+ million impressions and a 78% completion rate on YouTube. It became the #1 Top of Mind prevention campaign in Slovakia (29% top-of-mind recall). Willingness to get screened reached a record 86%, and certified screening centers saw a +49.3% increase in mammograms.
+49.3%
increase in mammograms
86%
willingness to get screened
20M+
impressions
Strategy Technique
Attack a Cultural Blind Spot
The campaign identified that a specific cultural lyric was reinforcing a deadly taboo. By calling out this blind spot, they turned a barrier to health into a catalyst for positive behavioral change.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Use a famous song
By re-recording a beloved national chanson, the campaign hijacked a familiar cultural melody to deliver a new, life-saving message. This familiar audio anchor made the sensitive medical topic feel approachable and emotionally resonant.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
This campaign ingeniously subverts a culturally beloved song to reframe a national taboo around breast screening into an empowering health movement. Through distinctive graphic design and powerful music re-recording, it transforms a cultural metaphor into a life-saving brand icon.
Re-recording Slovakia's iconic song 'Čerešne' with real breast cancer survivors turns a nostalgic ballad into a poignant, life-saving anthem.
The knotted cherry stem logo brilliantly reimagines a simple fruit metaphor into a clear visual instruction for self-examination.
“The combination of culturally resonant music and a simple, highly recognizable visual motif turned an abstract health advice campaign into an ubiquitous cultural symbol.”
