Stars Target Breast Cancer

Some famous names from British entertainment are lending their faces to a new advertising campaign targeting breast cancer.

Natalie Imbruglia, Anna Friel, Alan Carr, Edith Bowman, and Twiggy have been shot by acclaimed photographer Rankin wearing Fashion Targets Breast Cancer T-shirts for the campaign from Breakthrough Breast Cancer – the UK’s leading charity fighting breast cancer. The campaign aims to raise £1 million (US$2 million) to assist with research, campaigning, and education about the disease which kills around 35 women every day in the UK.

The campaign’s message is “Whatever your reason, wear one,” and each celebrity taking part has agreed to send themselves up by featuring their own comic reason. In the ads, which can be seen on Breakthrough’s website, Alan Carr jokes that the T-shirt shows off his man boobs, and Natalie Imbruglia admits that she is supporting FTBC because she has a thing about pastel colours. However, they also all see the serious side of the disease which affects 44,000 women in the UK every year.

“As a woman, I feel it is important to support this wonderful campaign,” said Imbruglia. “I was shocked when I saw the latest UK figures – 1 in 9 women are diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lifetime. The Fashion Targets Breast Cancer campaign makes so much sense. All you have to do, like me, is buy a T-shirt and wear it with pride. You will be helping to build on the £8.5 million already raised by this fantastic campaign to help Breakthrough Breast Cancer continue its crucial research, campaigning and education work. Breakthrough’s vision is a future free from the fear of breast cancer. I really do believe that together we can help Breakthrough achieve this. I can only reiterate what this year’s advertising campaign is saying: whatever your reason – please please wear one.”

A range of Fashion Targets Breast Cancer clothing – including T-shirts, swimwear, and accessories – will be available at stores such as Marks and Spencer, Topshop, and River Island. The range will also be available from the FTBC website. The campaign is Breakthrough Breast Cancer’s premier fundraising campaign and has raised over £8.5 million over the last 11 years. The money raised by this year’s campaign will go towards projects like the Triple Negative Trial – the first UK-based clinical trial to improve the treatment of “triple negative” breast cancer, a type of aggressive breast cancer that often affects young African women.

“My real reason for supporting Fashion Targets Breast Cancer is simple: No less than £4.50 from this T-shirt goes directly to Breakthrough Breast Cancer,” said Alan Carr, who represents the 300 men diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK every year. “So there really is no excuse is there? I want to see every one of you wearing this T-shirt with pride and supporting this fantastic charity. Just think you could look as you good as me, well, without the airbrushing and the girdle.”