Breast Cancer Canada and One Twenty Three West have teamed up to produce a series of visuals that make the early detection of breast cancer impossible to ignore.

“The Waiting Chair,” unveiled by the national registered charity and indie agency this week, is “a visceral depiction of breast cancer’s silent but aggressive nature” that aims to generate a renewed sense of urgency in confronting the disease. The combined digital and OOH campaign encourages women older than 40 to engage with Ontario’s new self-referral mammogram policy and make regular screenings a part of their routine.

The digital-activation portion of the campaign uses a transforming pink chair that gradually morphs into increasingly unrecognizable, but oddly beautiful forms, to illustrate how a tumour metastasizes and becomes cancerous. A similar visual concept sculpted onto a series of five pink chairs at Toronto Eaton Centre brings a tangible representation of how the disease subtly and silently progresses into the real world.

“We wanted to create something that stops people in their tracks and forces them to confront the reality of breast cancer,” Caroline Howson, vice-president and managing director at 123w, tells strategy. “People have become desensitized to breast cancer campaigns due to the amount of ‘pink washing’ for so long. That’s why we needed to create a disruptive visual that forces people to see the urgency of early detection.”

According to the World Health Organization, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime meaning an estimated 28,000 Canadians will be diagnosed with the disease in 2025. It is the most diagnosed cancer in the world.

“‘The Waiting Chair’ is a powerful symbol of the many layers of waiting that breast cancer patients endure,” says Kimberly Carson, CEO of Breast Cancer Canada. “It is important that we continue to empower women to take charge of their breast health by prioritizing routine screenings.”

Marie Cermakova, ACD at 123w, served as art director of the “The Waiting Chair” and CD Kate Roland took on writing duties. The campaign was produced by Neal Owusu of 123w, along with Ryan Scott. Setu Choudhary of Boring Bot Lab created the 3D design and Eric Mosher of Flip78 engineered the sound.

Screening appointments can be made at Ontario Breast Screening Program locations or by calling 1-800-668-9304.