Estée Lauder Companies | Breast Cancer Campaign 2021

Estée Lauder Companies has been raising public awareness about breast cancer prevention for three decades. In 2021, we had the privilege of re-staging the now iconic Pink Ribbon and generating a significant amount of publicity.

Since 1992, the Estée Lauder Companies has been committed to breast cancer research and awareness. The company not only supports research projects and various Pink Ribbon events, but also positions the topic of breast cancer in the public eye with its own events. To For this purpose, every October, during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, various landmarks around the world – from the Burj Al Arab to the Eiffel Tower and the Empire State Building – are bathed in pink spotlights. 

Since Zurich doesn’t have a monumental skyline, we were able to get creative with our choice of landmark: In keeping with Switzerland’s image as the water castle of Europe, we designated Zurich’s lake basin as the setting. While a drone took long-exposure shots of the lake, a pink-lit speed boat cruised down the ribbon near the city backdrop. That way, we drew the campaign’s key visual on Lake Zurich and created a unique Swiss “Pink Ribbon Illumination” in post-production, which received a lot of attention on social media and also at the client’s New York headquarters. 

The charity event itself aptly took place on a passenger ship. On board, 170 attendees immersed themselves in the world of the campaign: Decorations, catering, lighting, print materials as well as a selfie wall featured pink elements, while numerous guests wore the color in solidarity. They got to see the “Pink Ribbon Illumination” for the first time during an emotional speech by Maike Kiessling, General Manager of Estée Lauder Companies Switzerland, earning an on-board round of applause. 

 220 posts by more than 45 influencers among the guests generated two million impressions – equivalent to an earned media value of CHF 26,000. Anna Rossinelli and DJane Annina Frey provided the musical entertainment. In an “Art Battle,” up-and-coming Zurich artists created artwork in just 30 minutes, which was then auctioned off. Together with the proceeds from a raffle and a charity sales event organized by Estée Lauder Companies, a total of CHF 110,000 was donated to the “Look Good, Feel Better” organization. Including influencer activation, a press reach of 40 million was generated. 

 https://vimeo.com/755506692