Helping the public spot the signs of pancreatic cancer
Following the award-winning 2024 #Missed campaign, Pancreatic Cancer Action challenged us to go further. The brief: create a disruptive, digital-first awareness campaign that would stop social media scrollers in their tracks – and make the symptoms of pancreatic cancer impossible to ignore.
The challenge
– Make pancreatic cancer symptoms unmissable– Drive traffic to the Pancreatic Cancer Action website– Encourage earlier GP diagnosis– Deliver multiple creative executions across Awareness Month– Maximise impact within a tight (pro bono) budget– Create a campaign bold enough to stand out on social – and scale to OOH
Spotting the signs could save your life
Pancreatic cancer is the deadliest of the common cancers – often diagnosed too late because symptoms are overlooked. We brought that brutal truth to life by positioning pancreatic cancer as what it is: a deadly killer hiding in plain sight.
Using stark, investigative-style visuals, symptoms were mapped out like clues on an evidence board. Confrontational creative that grabbed attention on socials.
Designed to cut through crowded feeds, the campaign rolled out across:
– Static and video content tailored for all major social platforms– Simplified billboard executions for OOH– Pancreatic Cancer Action website
Outstanding results
The campaign exceeded expectations, outperforming previous activity and crushing non-profit benchmarks.
– Total engagement exceeded 516,000 interactions, with an overall engagement rate of 9.28% (exceeds charity average: 2.03%)– Across all social media, there were 146,411 video views – a 164% increase from 2024– 51% of viewers watched the full video on YouTube
The #DeadlyKiller campaign really hit the brief! It packed a punch, whilst also being informative. Lots of people commented that they will remember it for quite some time. Whilst being a digital-first campaign, we were also able to extend the concept and narrative to other channels to maximise its impact. As a small national charity, this campaign enabled us to achieve incredible engagement and reach, and this will have undoubtedly saved lives.
Louise Lowman
Head of Marketing and Communications, Pancreatic Cancer Action