Excellence in Communications via a Live Event or Stand-Alone Activity

Summary of work

It’s a sad fact that the people most at risk of developing skin cancer are those who are perhaps the least likely to seek advice. ‘The Burning Issue Campaign’, sponsored by Almirall and delivered by Red Door Unlimited, with consultants, was a unique campaign that aimed to take vital skin health information out to the people that needed it most. By taking education to agricultural workers, sailors and people in ‘skin cancer hot spots’, ‘The Burning Issue’ campaign was able to educate high-risk groups and potentially help them avoid the serious outcomes of sun exposure.

Working in partnership with the British Skin Foundation and dermatology consultants, the campaign created an engaging and somewhat scary stand using a GIANT interactive human head and bright visuals. A doctor was present on site who gave free skin checks to the audience which prompted people who may not ordinarily have done anything about it, to get their skin looked at, potentially saving lives.

It was challenging to convince the county events to allow the campaign to participate, but ultimately they recognised the value in the campaign, with one show awarding it the ‘Best Small Outdoor Trade Stand’ award for such an ‘impactful and worthy campaign’.

Over 5,000 people directly engaged with the representatives on the stand, indirect engagement via media coverage reached 97,509 local people and affected the lives of over 130 patients with the identification of 108 Actinic Keratosis skin lesions and 28 early stage cancers - all with a consultation form to go and see their healthcare professional immediately.

Judges' comments

Despite using back to basics tactics, this was a creative and attention grabbing piece of work. They identified patients who were slipping through the net and engaged local clinicians and CCGs brilliantly and key learnings were very genuine