Every year, Pfizer Norway creates a collaborative campaign with the Norwegian Breast Cancer Society to support and uplift the group with incurable breast cancer.

Challenge

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, and most campaigns focus on survival, hope, and strength.
However, those who are unfortunate enough to be diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer—the incurable stage—often get overshadowed by the broader focus on survival.
These individuals can't "win the battle" against cancer.
Pfizer, in collaboration with the Norwegian Breast Cancer Association (Brystkreftforeningen), wanted to create a campaign that focused on those living with incurable breast cancer.

Solution

The campaign featured the world's first statue of a woman with incurable breast cancer—a sculpture with one breast and one scar. This statue was designed to raise awareness, provide care, and increase knowledge about a group that often gets overlooked. It immortalized those who are facing an inevitable end. The statue depicted Cecilie, a mother of three, who was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer at 42.

The statue, created by renowned sculptor Håkon Anton Fagerås, was permanently placed at Spikersuppa, in the heart of Oslo, as a symbol of life, death, and the realities of living with incurable breast cancer. In addition to the statue, two films were produced: one featuring Cecilie sharing her life lessons, and another documenting the process of creating a statue of someone who was in the process of fading away.

 

Results

The unveiling ceremony took place in front of the Norwegian Parliament, led by the mayor of Oslo, Marianne Borgen. The event featured speeches from several politicians, a special news segment on NRK Dagsrevyen, and coverage from local media, with hundreds of attendees. The campaign won multiple awards, including at the Gullblyanten and Eurobest festivals. The statue, now a permanent fixture in Oslo, serves as a powerful reminder for all who pass by to confront the realities of living with metastatic breast cancer.

Cecilie Flatval passed away on April 22, 2023.