Love Letters for Cancer Screening Campaign for Women of Color in New York City (Genentech, Harrison & Star, Cien Plus, and Weber Shandwick)
The “Love Letters for Cancer Screening” campaign was created to fuel action around an urgent need: increasing cancer screening rates and reducing healthcare disparities in Black and Hispanic women following the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City. Lack of culturally appropriate education, mistrust in the medical community, a reactive approach to their health, and many more social determinant factors were key barriers to overcome.
For the campaign, Black and Latina women provided authentic letters written to loved ones who had been impacted by cancer. Artists of color then created custom portraits to accompany the letters magnifying the impact of these moving stories. Resources were developed in both English and Spanish and included a variety of social media, web, and print tactics. Additionally, the campaign was initiated in conjunction with “Cancer Screen Week,” a public health initiative which involves partnership between the American Cancer Society, Stand Up to Cancer, Optum, and Genentech. Target audiences were directed to the “Cancer Screen Week” website to learn more about how and where they could get screened, with or without insurance. Multiple community activations were also held at live events across New York City in the fall of 2022 including those with the American Cancer Society, YMCA centers, and faith-based organizations.
The campaign garnered over 2.5 million social media impressions and 14,500 clicks to the loveyougetscreened.com website in the first eight weeks after launch. Due to its success, “Love Letters” continues to expand to community activations and health fairs across the country. The campaign has now reached more than 16 U.S. states, including communities within Chicago, Austin, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Orlando, and Cleveland.
