Information is power. But nearly three in four women diagnosed with breast cancer don’t know their options when it comes to breast reconstruction, according to AbbVie’s Allergan Aesthetics.
The company, which sells breast implants, wants to change that with its new “Power of You” campaign, which aims to celebrate patients’ courage and inner strength — and also empower them with information about their breast reconstruction choices.
Company insights from surveys, focus groups and on-the-ground conversations with patients pointed to the need for more education and awareness, Kourtney Cavallio, head of portfolio marketing, said in an interview.
“The choice of breast reconstruction really is a very personal decision, and we want women to feel armed with all they need to make informed decisions,” she said.
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Allergan kicked off the campaign during Breast Cancer Awareness month by partnering with fitness company Peloton and athletic-wear brand Goldsheep on two separate breast cancer fundraisers. Peloton and the advocacy group Bust A Move raised money for four breast cancer organizations on Oct. 16 during a series of live classes on the Peloton app.
Meanwhile, Goldsheep is donating proceeds from its limited-edition #ISweatPink collection (including a new campaign-inspired design—“Power of You Leopard”) to the Keep A Breast Foundation.
But the work won’t stop after October. The campaign features monthly events throughout 2022 and “showcases real women and their authentic stories of courage, strength and community,” through their breast cancer experience, the breast implant maker said.
Next month it unveils Project Restored, a book and live-cast sculpture exhibit featuring the work of beauty photographer Erez Sabag. The project celebrates 12 women who have undergone breast reconstruction and “the beauty of their post-reconstruction bodies,” Cavallio said. Profits from the book will go to the patient advocacy group Alliance in Reconstructive Surgery (AiRS).
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“I’m so excited to get this project out there because I think the stories are going to inspire not only newly diagnosed cancer patients, but everyone who sees it,” said Cavallio, noting that the photographs highlight various types of breast reconstruction, with and without implants.
The company is also sponsoring “Lady: The Film,” described as a dramedy-fantasy based on actress Devin Sidell’s journey through preventative mastectomy surgery and reconstruction after testing positive for the BRCA 1 mutation. It’s expected to premiere in the fall of 2022.
Allergan Aesthetics is promoting the campaign on social media and in digital ads, and through its plastic surgeon partners and breast cancer influencers.
Although the campaign is unbranded, the company’s breast reconstruction products include implants sold under the brand name Natrelle, as well as tissue expanders and implant delivery sleeve devices. Allergan set up the aesthetics division following its acquisition by AbbVie in May 2020.
