Kleenex has partnered with Bowel Cancer Australia, launching a national campaign turning toilet paper into an unexpected awareness raising tool.
To encourage greater symptom awareness and to reduce the stigma associated with ‘checking your poo’, Kleenex toilet paper rolls will feature prompts directing Australians to check their poo and visit a dedicated support hub, poocheck.com.au, to learn about bowel cancer symptoms.
Awareness key to early detection
“We are delighted to be partnering with Kleenex for this innovative campaign, raising much-needed awareness around Australia’s second-deadliest cancer – bowel cancer,” says Bowel Cancer Australia CEO Julien Wiggins.
“Awareness about the signs and symptoms of bowel cancer remains a primary opportunity for early detection.
“Now every time Aussies go to the toilet with these Kleenex loo rolls, they’ll be encouraged to overcome the taboo around checking their poo.”
‘Bowel cancer symptoms are a blind spot’
Launched ahead of Bowel Cancer Australia’s signature event, Bowel Cancer Awareness Month in June, the campaign comes as new research polling 1000-plus Australians finds bowel cancer symptoms are a blind spot for many across the nation.
Nearly three-quarters (73.6%) of respondents admit they aren’t checking their poo for possible signs of bowel cancer, whilst almost half (43.2%) are unable to correctly identify three key bowel cancer symptoms.
Poo taboos remain rife for Aussies too, with two-in-five (38.6%) respondents indicating they are uncomfortable talking about their bowel habit with their family – while over a quarter (26.8%) are uncomfortable talking about it with their doctor.
Using toilet paper to drive awareness
“We’re incredibly proud to support the team at Bowel Cancer Australia, using our Kleenex loo rolls to help address some of the bathroom blind spots when it comes to bowel cancer symptom awareness,” says Mill Manager at Kimberly-Clark Australia, Adam Carpenter.
“Thousands of Aussies already trust Kleenex in the bathroom – and this crucial initiative transforms the humble loo roll into a bowel cancer awareness game-changer that helps Aussies to break the poo taboo.
“This is a natural step and partnership for Kleenex, and we hope it contributes to driving awareness, particularly as we head into Bowel Cancer Awareness Month this June.”
Celebrity support
Celebrities and social stars alike are jumping on the Kleenex ‘Poo Check trend’, including bowel cancer patient and Married at First Sight star Mel Schilling, John Pearce – the Purple Wiggle, social star Maddy MacRae and viral creator Alright Hey.
For more information on Kleenex and Bowel Cancer Australia’s Poo Check campaign, visit poocheck.com.au.
