In the UK, one woman is diagnosed with Breast Cancer every 10 minutes. Despite this alarming fact, people struggle to talk openly about the disease.

Breast cancer is physically gruelling, but the emotional impact of a diagnosis isn’t spoken about enough. Many women in their forties and fifties suffer in silence.

Breast Cancer Now wanted to drive social change in the UK by normalising open conversation around breast cancer. The objective: to help prevent women with the disease from experiencing feelings of emotional isolation – whilst also positioning Breast Cancer Now as the place to turn to for support, whether they’re a patient, relative, friend or survivor.

Building on Breast Cancer Now’s ongoing strategy, the brief was to create an idea that led to more open conversations around breast cancer.

The Chat is the UK’s first WhatsApp drama series. Designed to connect with 40-50 year old women in a place that’s central to their daily lives, on their mobiles.

It unfolded in real-time over 6 weeks through voice notes, videos, photos and text messages sent between four best friends as they navigated an unexpected breast cancer diagnosis together. An audience of influencers, celebrities and real people joined a Whatsapp group to watch the series, sharing its content and sparking interactions on social.

The series covered the most sensitive & emotionally challenging issues surrounding breast cancer, with an incredible cast bringing the story to life, BAFTA-award-winning Rakie Ayola, Indira Varma (Game of Thrones), Kate Ashfield (Shaun of the Dead) and Claudie Blakley (Pride and Prejudice).

This groundbreaking approach to storytelling helped the audience feel like part of the friendship group, delivering this health message in the most intimate way, through mobile.

To tackle the emotional isolation thousands of women in their forties and fifties feel when diagnosed, Breast Cancer Now commissioned The Chat. As the UK’s first WhatsApp drama series, it was an innovative, immersive experience. Its key message: it’s important to talk openly about breast cancer.

This target audience in particular share intimate messages on their mobiles, making the familiar setting of a WhatsApp group the perfect place to engage them. They also love the experience of getting lost in a drama series. This idea combined the two, blurring the lines between drama and reality.

The Chat supported Breast Cancer Now’s ongoing objective, to get the UK talking more openly about breast cancer. The strategy was to engage celebrities, influencers and members of the public to grab news headlines and spread awareness. A wealth of shareable content was created, alongside trailers. It was supported by news interviews to increase reach.

The Chat unfolded in real-time over 6 weeks through voice notes, videos, photos and text messages sent between four best friends as they navigated an unexpected breast cancer diagnosis together. An audience of influencers, celebrities and real people joined a Whatsapp group to watch the series – sharing its content and sparking interactions on social.

The famous cast donated their time and talent to bring The Chat to life. Their high profiles helped draw large numbers to watch the series.

Content from the series is still being shared, and, like any good drama series, viewers can catch up online via an episodic version housed on a microsite.

The series was covered by mainstream media across the UK, including the nation’s biggest morning show Good Morning Britain, the hugely successful BBC talk show Woman’s Hour and the UK’s biggest commercial broadcaster ITV’s flagship news programme.

The campaign has reached over 24.5 million people so far.

Earned media is £2.1 million & counting.

Conversation around Breast Cancer Now increased significantly & site traffic rose by 191% since The Chat launched.

To date, The Chat has clocked up over 23 minutes of airtime on the BBC, Britain’s non commercial national broadcaster. An almost unprecedented figure for a branded content series.

The drama series has also been covered by mainstream media across the UK, including the nation’s biggest morning show, Good Morning Britain, the hugely successful talk show Woman’s Hour and the UK’s biggest commercial broadcaster ITV’s flagship news programme. Major newspaper titles, including the Evening Standard, Daily Mirror, the Daily Express and The Voice covered the series.

With a constant flow of positive tweets, likes, comments and shares across social platforms from people moved by the series, driving social change by normalising open conversation about breast cancer.

In the UK, people are known for having a ‘stiff upper lip’, keeping themselves to themselves and not expressing how they really feel. This inherently British trait is ingrained in society and contributes to thousands of women suffering in silence as they go through breast cancer.

Given that 1 woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every 10 minutes in the UK, this is a serious issue.

Often, people in the UK are more comfortable talking about personal matters through messaging, rather than in person. The Chat engaged people on their mobiles and brought to light an overlooked health issue to help those with Breast Cancer by encouraging more open conversation.