Breast cancer is more than a disease, more than statistics. It’s people, whose lives are forever changed by a diagnosis. Their stories are the basis of “Five,” a movie that will premiere on Lifetime on Oct. 10 in collaboration with Ford Warriors in Pink.
Directors of the movie are Jennifer Aniston, Alicia Keys, Demi Moore, Patty Jenkins and Penelope Spheeris.
“Warriors in Pink has always been about the courage and the strength it takes to fight this disease,” said Tracy Magee, Ford’s primary brand experiential manager. “This year we’ve really been focusing on people’s stories – the stories behind the disease. This Lifetime project ties in extremely well with our Warriors in Pink campaign.”
“Five” is five short films that explore the impact of breast cancer on five very different women. Through an interconnected story arc, the films use humor and drama to focus on these women and their lives at different stages of their diagnoses. The stories look at the effect the disease has on relationships and the way the women perceive themselves while searching for strength, comfort, medical breakthroughs and ultimately a cure.
In addition to the in-movie integration, the Warriors in Pink campaign will be featured in a short segment at the conclusion of the film that includes exclusive footage from the movie.
An exclusive T-shirt designed by Aniston, with an illustration relating to the movie on the front and Warriors in Pink symbols on the back, will be available at www.fordcares.com. As with all Warriors in Pink wear and gear sold on www.fordcares.com, 100 percent of the proceeds from the shirt’s purchase go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
“The Aniston-designed T-shirt shows a child’s drawing of a man on the moon,” said Magee. "It ties in with the first story, where a little girl’s mother loses her battle with breast cancer on the same day man first lands on the moon. The little girl grows up determined to find a cure – she opens an oncology clinic where she’s treating the other women we meet in the stories of ‘Five.’
“The T-shirt links those first experiences together – if we can land a man on the moon, we can cure breast cancer.”
For Aniston, the design of the T-shirt goes even deeper.
“My T-shirt stands for a future in which we no longer have to live in fear of cancer,” Aniston said. “I’ve had an amazing journey working on ‘Five,’ and it was only fitting I was able to bring that energy into the design of this Ford Warriors in Pink T-shirt. I encourage all of you to take a stand against breast cancer and join the brave men and women who are battling the disease as we speak.”
Expanded campaign
The collaboration will expand beyond the movie. Aniston will be featured in a public service announcement that also shows her exclusive T-shirt, and Rosario Dawson and Tracee Ellis Ross, two of the stars of the movie, will be featured in print advertisements for the Warriors in Pink campaign.
“This collaboration is one more way for us to raise awareness,” said Magee. “We think this movie, along with the names behind it, is a great way to raise the visibility of our message.”
The Warriors in Pink campaign, of course, goes on all year long. Ford Warriors in Pink apparel and accessories are created for women, men and children and feature important symbols signifying the message of hope, strength and unity in the fight against breast cancer.
The Ford commitment runs well beyond raising funds. The company is dedicated to making a difference 365 days a year by encouraging women to become informed and visit their doctors, educating them that early detection saves lives. 2011 marks Ford Motor Company’s 17th year of support for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Ford has dedicated more than $110 million to the cause to date.
