Back in 2020, Australian brand Camilla and Marc launched Ovaries. Talk about them. A campaign targeted towards raising awareness for ovarian cancer after founders Camilla Freeman-Topper and Marc Freeman lost their mother to the insidious disease over two decades ago. The campaign was simple. To raise awareness and money which would be donated to the work of Associate Professor Caroline Ford at the UNSW Ovarian Cancer Research Group, who are working to have an early detection test move to clinical trials in the next 4 years - which, if successful, would be a simple blood test made available to women globally at their regular GP visit each year.
Fast forward to 2022, and the brand are still as committed to the cause as they were on day one, with the third annual launch of the Ovaries. Talk about them. campaign. Despite the remarkable steps the brand has taken to push this initiative forward, raising AU$544K, which has enabled the UNSW Ovarian Cancer Research Centre to employ two key scientists as well as a full-time nurse, ovarian cancer is still as insidious as ever, affecting close to 300,000 new cases annually, worldwide.
This is why the Ovaries. Talk about them. campaign continues to live on with the work left to be done. There is still no test, no warning signs, and no cure. “Ovarian Cancer is the deadliest female cancer – yet still, there is no test. Women deserve a test. My mother passed away 28 years ago and statistics have barely changed, largely due to funding and awareness. Through this bold campaign, we are driving a new conversation for ovarian cancer so that women can feel confident to talk about their bodies, and rightly claim what they deserve as a basic healthcare right.” Freeman-Topper said in a press release.
Associate Professor Caroline Ford UNSW said, "Women’s health issues have been overlooked and underfunded for too long. Ovarian cancer is a devastating and deadly disease, frequently diagnosed too late. Women deserve better and I’m proud to be part of a global movement shining a light on this disease and leading research to improve outcomes for all women. Funding from this campaign will directly fund research in my lab towards an early detection test for ovarian cancer."
“Ovarian cancer is desperately under-funded and the awareness remarkably low for a disease that is the deadliest female cancer." CEO Marc Freeman said. "We want to change that through this powerful campaign. Through the work that we are doing, we aim to change the face of ovarian cancer, through bold and honest conversations so that women worldwide can get the early detection test they deserve.”
Alongside the important message to raise awareness, the campaign centres around a line of merchandise produced by the brand with the slogan "Ovaries. Talk About Them." printed on the garments, worn by an array of Sydney creatives, models, and inspirational figures.
This year, they are offered in navy and cream t-shirts, sweatshirts, caps, and tote bags. The capsule collection will be available online and at all Camilla and Marc boutiques nationwide from May 2, 2022 for a limited time. 100% of all sales will be donated directly to the cause.
