Cancer Campaign Goes National

The American Cancer Society is taking Meridian Advertising’s local ad campaign to a national stage.

“Tell-A-Friend,” a personal outreach program to encourage early detection of breast cancer, originally began in the organization’s Great Lakes division. Now, it and its advertising components have been expanded to 26 states across the country.

A 30-second TV spot is being excerpted from a longer video, which encourages corporations to designate a day to let employees participate in the program. The campaign also includes radio and promotional materials.

Unlike other marketing efforts meant to deter the spread of life-threatening diseases, the “Tell-A-Friend” campaign has a more positive, proactive tone, said Marty Bernstein, account executive at Meridian.