Prost8 encourages testing with bottom-controlled campaign

Prostate cancer charity, Prost8, has launched the world’s first bottom-controlled digital out of home campaign to raise awareness for prostate cancer.

The campaign, created with the help of TBWA\MCR, takes the form of a retro-style playable game called ‘Dodge the Finger’. Men are dying of cancer because they’re avoiding prostate tests, mistakenly thinking it involves a finger up the bum. ‘Dodge The Finger’ aims to correct that misconception by telling them it’s just a blood test.

Around 12,000 men die of prostate cancer every year but early detection has the potential to slash deaths by 40%. The game will be projected onto some of the most premium DOOH across Europe during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in March to encourage men to take part in vital testing.

‘Dodge the Finger’ has been created to tackle any misconceptions among men aged 50+ in particular, combining humour and arcade games to underline that the life-saving tests needn’t be so scary.

The game invites players to control a virtual bum with their own backsides, using Ocean’s skeletal tracking technology to avoid fingers as they move across the big screen.

The games can be played at Printworks, Manchester, UK on 4th March and Westfield Stratford City in London on 14th March. Days and locations chosen to coincide with big match days, reaching football fans travelling to games at Manchester City and West Ham.

“The earlier we catch prostate cancer, the better the treatment. It’s why we need to educate every man possible about PSA testing. Thanks to the creative brilliance of TBWA\MCR and the extraordinary reach of Ocean Outdoor, allied to a charity changing the face of prostate cancer treatment, Prost8 UK, this campaign will help tens of thousands of men survive prostate cancer better,” explained Paul Sayer, founder and CEO of Prost8.

The campaign will run throughout March on some of Europe’s biggest screens including Amsterdam Leidseplein, The Halo at Westfield Scandinavia in Stockholm, the Iconic at Field’s, Copenhagen; Lepakko, Helsinki; The Centro Lights, Oberhausen; and in London, The Screens at Canary Wharf, Reuters Plaza, and launching on Landsec’s Piccadilly Lights.

The campaign was a Gold winner in Ocean Outdoor UK’s annual Digital Creative Competition and took the top prize in Ocean’s European Grand Prix which brings together the Gold winners across seven different markets. The Ocean Outdoor initiative seeks and rewards original, bold ideas in DOOH.

“Challenging misconceptions about prostate checks saves lives, and this level of media exposure broadens the impact significantly beyond the UK. Using humour on Europe’s biggest screens is a powerful way to connect with the men who need to hear this message,” added Helen Haines, Director of Strategic Projects, Ocean Group.  

Combatting misconceptions with humour, the striking campaign uses gamification to engage audiences and raise awareness of the need for vital testing.