Brand activation, recognized at Cannes Lions

The Pink Bra

A bra that helped Pakistan’s rural women through a trojan horse strategy

Pakistan has the highest incidence of breast cancer in Asia. Nobody was talking about it. So we made something they couldn't ignore, that women could privately discover, learn from, and share with each other. free from the taboos and concerns of society.

White sleeveless sports bra with pink ribbon logo and pink text on the inside.
“The Pink Bra project could be a lifesaving initiative in Pakistan. It encourages breast awareness and women to report symptoms early.”
— Dr. Soujanya Gadde, Breast Radiologist

Client
Pink Ribbon Pakistan

Market
Pakistan

Scope
Concept, product design, campaign, film, distribution, partnership, influencer and activation strategy

A hand pressing on a small, round, white medical pad or patch attached to a person's skin.
Close-up of a crumpled white fabric with pink embossed lettering.
Gray box with pink ribbon symbol on top, likely a gift or donation box.
A box of folded white and pink bras inside a cardboard box with pink tissue paper lining.
Young woman with long dark hair sitting on a beige sofa in a room with wooden blinds and artwork hanging on the wall.
A woman in a white lab coat sitting in a medical or laboratory setting.

Get Pakistani women, particularly those in rural and lower-income communities, to perform breast self-examination and seek help early. Do it without a budget, without alienating a conservative audience, and without ignoring the cultural realities that make this conversation nearly impossible.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Ft. at Cannes Lions, Contagious, Gulf News, Khaleej Times, NPR and more

BRIEF

We realized that many women already used their bras to store money, as traditional shalwar kameez has no pockets. We started there. The Pink Bra is a simple white brassiere with raised pink fingerprint outlines showing exactly where to press during self-examination. Instructions printed in Urdu, with illustrations for women who are illiterate. A Pink Ribbon hotline number on the inside. Pockets for money, because that's what the bra was already for. We partnered with International Foundation and Garments, Pakistan's leading undergarment manufacturer, and with Pink Ribbon and breast cancer surgeon Dr. Rufina Soomro who works directly with rural women. Distribution was solved by targeting middle and upper class women to give Pink Bras to the women who worked in their homes. 

INSIGHTS & APPROACH

5,000 Pink Bras manufactured. 900 distributed free to doctors and nonprofits. 400,000 Facebook views on the launch film. Radio stations ran week-long educational series. Pakistani actresses and influencers got on board organically. Shortlisted at Cannes Lions 2016. Profiled by NPR. And a breast radiologist at a UK cancer charity called it "a potentially lifesaving initiative in Pakistan."

EXECUTION & IMPACT

What it really took to pull it off.