From a TV broadcast perspective, full frontal nudity is against the code of ethics and generally would not get TV airplay. Our sensitive and relevant treatment of our topless breast cancer survivor gave us an approval with an M rating (Recommended for viewing only by persons 15 and over).

Today, 1 in 8 Australian women will develop breast cancer. While most pink campaigns focus on fundraising, the importance of detecting cancer in its early stages has been largely ignored. Cancer Council NSW wanted a campaign that would change behaviour and inspire women of all ages to self-examine and catch the disease early. It was critical that the campaign had cut-through in the cluttered charity space.

Last year, Australian rock diva Chrissy Amphlett, of the Divinyls, died from breast cancer. 'I Touch Myself' was their biggest hit and touched millions of fans around the globe. Released in December 1990, the single reached number 1 on the Australian charts and Top 5 in the US.

We created the I Touch Myself Project, transforming a song about female sexuality into an anthem for breast cancer, to once again inspire a generation of women to touch themselves.

We brought ten of Australia’s leading female singers together to create a moving music video. From rock goddesses to indie pop sensations, soul singers to sopranos, the singers harmonise in an almost a cappella version of 'I Touch Myself'. The video features vocalists ranging in age from 20s to 60s as a reminder that breast cancer affects women of all ages, shapes and lifestyles. Shot in B&W, the camera gently pans from one woman to the next, all filmed naked from the shoulders up as they sing sections of the song. At the end, the camera pans onto a sensitive reveal of a topless breast cancer survivor who opted, at age 27, to undergo a preventive double mastectomy. A simple and poignant super fades up: Touch Yourself.

The project was launched for the anniversary of Chrissy’s death and is supported by a content-rich website that encourages women to self-examine while listening to their favourite singer's mix.

Teasers were seeded to the public via national media exclusives published the day before launch to build hype. The music video launched to an audience of 2.2 million on Australia’s top-rating evening current affairs show 'Sunday Night' (it was the most shared segment in the show's history). The campaign consists of entertaining and behaviour-changing content: hero music video, TVCs, individual artist mixes, website, social media and digital posters that link to bespoke content for each singer. The campaign entertains and educates, providing content, interaction and social participation. Within two weeks, 47% of Australian women saw it.

International media picked up the campaign within hours of the launch, reaching audiences of 400 million plus.

Over 250,000 Australian women visited the site in the first two weeks of launch with an average unique session time of almost 7 minutes. Critically, over 80% of these visitors got in touch with their breast health through the self examination information and facts section of the website. The greater campaign, including the social media and PR aspects, helped the project reach 47% of Australian women. #itouchmyselfproject became a trending topic on Facebook for 2 days. There were over 3,000 iTunes downloads of the song in 17 countries in the first week with proceeds going to Cancer Council NSW.

In two weeks, the project achieved over $AUD7 million in free PR, without a dollar spent on media. The story was covered across all media demographics: from Gen X and Gen Y’s online pop culture sites Buzzfeed, to localised stories in regional Australian papers with local breast cancer survivors, and discussion on Australian national talkback radio as part of a women’s health panel of doctors who praised the positive messaging of the campaign.