Image via GIRLvsCANCER
The United Kingdom’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has imposed a dry spell on a racy campaign about intimacy after a cancer diagnosis. The initiative, created by GIRLvsCANCER and advertising agency BBH London, has been banned for its potentially offensive content, particularly in out-of-home (OOH) spaces accessible to children.
The poster, featuring the eye-catching phrase, “Cancer won’t be the last thing that f*cks me”, is paired with intimate photography by Katie Burdon. These visuals showcase close-up shots of female bodies, scars and all. It was designed to jolt the public into acknowledging a rarely spoken-about aspect of cancer recovery.
Aimed at normalizing conversations around post-cancer intercourse, the wider campaign focuses on the experiences of real women reclaiming their sexual identity.
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GIRLvsCANCER was founded by Lauren Mahon, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at 31, with the hope of launching a supportive community for those affected by cancer. The charity has become a haven for sharing experiences among young women, offering support and raising awareness.
Despite the initiative’s positive intentions, the ASA, a regulatory body overseeing advertising standards in the country, has deemed the reference to the F-word and the provocative imagery inappropriate for public display.
In its response, the advertising watchdog acknowledged the campaign’s purpose and the thoughtful selection of visuals and language. It also recognized that GIRLvsCANCER intended to represent the real experiences of women who had survived cancer, aiming to drive attention toward a critical issue often overlooked in mainstream conversations.
However, it noted that the explicit reference to the expletive—albeit censored—was likely to offend a broad audience.
“We considered that ‘f*ck’ was a word so likely to offend that it should not generally be used or alluded to in advertising, even if viewers would understand that the ads were intended to raise awareness of women’s experience with cancer,” the ASA ruled. “We further considered that, within the context of the ad, the image was sufficiently sexually explicit to be likely to offend viewers.”
As such, the ASA determined that the advertisement must not appear in its critiqued form again. It also advised GIRLvsCANCER to ensure that future creative endeavors avoid causing widespread offense and are appropriately targeted.
[via It’s Nice That and Advertising Standards Authority, images via GIRLvsCANCER]
by rrollins
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