CoppaFeel!

CoppaFeel! is a breast cancer awareness charity, based in London.[1] The charity focuses on promoting early detection of breast cancer by encouraging woman under 30 to regularly check their breasts.[2]

CoppaFeel! is currently a charity partner of Cosmopolitan magazine.[3]

History


CoppaFeel! was founded in 2009 by twin sisters Kristin and Maren Hallenga, after Kristin was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 23.[4] Because of a late diagnosis, Kristin Hallenga lives with stage four breast cancer.[5] Despite Hallenga's having a family history of cancer, doctors originally dismissed a tumor on Kristin’s breast as “hormonal”.[1]

Driven by the difficult experience, Kristin and Maren, devoted themselves to educating young women about the dangers of late diagnosis, and launched CoppaFeel! at Beach Break Live in 2009.[6]

CoppaFeel!’s mission and values

"I want everyone to know that cancer doesn’t conform to the over-40s rule we try to impose on it; and that getting to know your boobs from a young age, and making checking them regularly a habit of a lifetime you could save your life one day."

- Kristin Hallenga.[7]

"...to live in a world where all breast cancers are diagnosed at the earliest stage possible, at which treatments are more effective and survival rates are higher."

- CoppaFeel!'s vision statement.[8]

CoppaFeel! tackle the common misconception that people who are under the age of forty are too young to contract cancer.[5] Much of their awareness campaigns are based on the principle that the more that an individual is aware of their own breasts, the more likely they are to spot a change - should one occur.[9] Most of their awareness work is carried out at universities, music festivals, schools and work places and via national awareness campaigns around the UK.[6] CoppaFeel!'s ambassadors are called 'the Boobettes', who are young women that have all had the disease at a young age.[10]

Campaigns

Over the past few years, CoppaFeel! have instigated several high-profile breast cancer awareness campaigns.

They currently encourage fashion labels to sew an awareness message inside bras, which read: “Checking your boobs could save your life”.[11] This ‘Bra Hijack’ campaign has received support from ASOS, Cosmopolitan, Very, Gossard, Curvy Kate, Panache, Nubian Skin, Lepel, Tutti Rouge and Ender Legard.[12]

In summer 2014 they launched their ‘What Normal Feels Like’ campaign, which seeks to reclaim the language and imagery associated with breasts.[13] Hundreds of women have submitted pictures of their breasts, along with a descriptive word such as “wibbly” or “springy”, which have been used in a series of advertisements designed to normalise and desexualise female breasts.[14] According to The Daily Mail, the ‘What Normal Feels Like’ billboards had to be placed away from roadsides for fear of distracting drivers with images of naked breasts.[15]

In the same year The Sun newspaper started working with CoppaFeel! on ‘Check ‘Em Tuesday’, a bold campaign that features Page 3 models encouraging readers to check their breasts for signs of cancer every Tuesday.[16] CoppaFeel! founder Kristin Hallenga presently works as a columnist for The Sun, expanding on the important of ‘Check ‘Em Tuesday’ by regularly writing about her own experiences with cancer.[16] The campaign has been criticized by No More Page 3, who feel that the promotion “sexualised images of young women to highlight breast cancer”.[17] CoppaFeel! responded to the criticism by highlighting the importance of early stage diagnoses for the disease.[18] ‘Check ‘Em Tuesday’ has received support from several celebrities including motorcycle racer Maria Costello,[19] and actress Helen Flanagan.[20]

CoppaFeel! have also run a ‘Cheknominate’ campaign, which was their “healthier” take on the Neknominate craze.[21] Cheknominate encouraged people to record themselves checking their breasts before nominating a friend to do the same. The Huffington Post were supportive of the campaign, and encouraged their readers to try and get the hashtag #Cheknominate trending on social media.[22]

Media Coverage


Many of Coppafeel!’s publicity campaigns have involved the use of giant inflatable ‘boob’ costumes.[4] The charity has organized a series of successful flash dances, using their ‘boob’ costumes, which gained widespread media attention in the UK.[5]

CoppaFeel! gained widespread media coverage when they a decorated The Angel of the North with a ‘boob hijack’ sticker.[7]

In 2015 CoppaFeel! founder Kristin Hallenga was profiled in Kris: Dying to Live, a documentary that covered her battle with terminal breast cancer.[23] She also played herself in The C Word, a BBC One adaptation of the book by cancer blogger Lisa Lynch.[24]

Festifeel

CoppaFeel! host the annual music festival, Festifeel, helping to raise money for breast cancer awareness.[25] It describes itself as "Britain's only boutique music festival with boobs in mind!".[26]

Celebrity Support

Their innovative fundraising activities have received widespread support from celebrities including Fearne Cotton, Newton Faulkner, Lorraine Kelly and Danni Minogue.[27]

Radio presenters Greg James and Dermot O'Leary both ran the 2013 Bath Half Marathon, wearing giant inflatable ‘boobs’, in support of CoppaFeel![28]

Gavin and Stacey star Mathew Horne appeared in a cinema campaign for Coppafeel!, encouraging viewers to check out their boobs before the film started.[29]

In September 2012 Mel B posed topless in a Coppafeel! Advert in Cosmopolitan magazine, ahead of breast cancer awareness month.<ref name="The Mirror, '""I love boobs": Mel B goes topless and reveals she used to fondle the Spice Girls"'>""I love boobs": Mel B goes topless and reveals she used to fondle the Spice Girls"', Retrieved - May 21, 2013</ref> The advert's risqué nature received mass-media coverage.[30]

Chris O'Dowd has also appeared in a viral video, raising awareness of male breast cancer which accounts for 1% of breast cancers.[31]

References

  1. 1 2 IOL Lifestyle, 'I never ask how long I've got', Retrieved - May 11, 2013
  2. ↑ Campaign, Mathew Horne tells cinema goers to 'CoppaFeel!' in breast cancer awareness ad, Retrieved - May 11, 2013
  3. ↑ Cosmopolitan, CoppaFeel!, Retrieved - May 11, 2013
  4. 1 2 BBC Radio One Newsbeat, Fearne Cotton meets Coppafeel founder Kris Hallenga, Retrieved - 11 May 2013
  5. 1 2 3 Daily Mail, One hundred jiggling breasts? Must be the CoppaFeel flashmob!, Retrieved - May 11, 2013
  6. 1 2 The Independent, 'I never ask my doctor how long I've got', Retrieved - May 11, 2013
  7. 1 2 Metro, Angel of the North Bobbs Hijacked by CoppaFeel! Cancer Charity, Retrieved - May 11, 2013
  8. ↑ CoppaFeel!'s Official Website, 'Our Charity and Vision', Retrieved - May 14, 2013
  9. ↑ PR Week, Mathew Horne Tells Cinema Goers to CoppaFeel! in Breast Cancer Awareness Ad, Retrieved - May 11, 2013
  10. ↑ The Mirror, 'Meet the brilliant Boobettes', Retrieved - May 14, 2013
  11. ↑ The Sun, 'Coppafeel develop bra that could save your live', Retrieved - June 03 2015
  12. ↑ Coppafeel, 'What we do: bra hijack', Retrieved - June 03 2015
  13. ↑ Huffington Post 'Breast Cancer Awareness: Do You Know What Normal Feels Like?', Retrieved - June 03 2015
  14. ↑ Express, 'Women bare their breasts for cancer charity Coppafeel!'s #whatnormalfeelslike campaign', Retrieved - June 03 2015
  15. ↑ The Daily Mail, 'How latest bare-chested campaign from breast cancer charity CoppaFeel! had to find billboards around UK far away from roads so to avoid distracting drivers', Retrieved - June 03 2015
  16. 1 2 The Sun, 'Check 'Em Tuesday', Retrieved - June 03 2015
  17. ↑ No more page 3, 'The Sun's Check 'Em Tuesday', Retrieved - June 03 2015
  18. ↑ Brastop blog, 'Coppafeel’s “Check ’em Tuesdays” Campaign with The Sun', Retrieved - June 03 2015
  19. ↑ Twitter, 'Maria Costello', Retrieved - June 03 2015
  20. ↑ The Sun, 'Page 3 vs breast cancer Stars join our campaign and help to save lives', Retrieved - June 03 2015
  21. ↑ Coppafeel, Cheknominate, Retrieved - June 03 2015
  22. ↑ Huffington Post, 'Forget Neknominate, Coppafeel! Want Us To Check Our Breasts Using #CHEKNOMINATE', Retrieved - June 03 2015
  23. ↑ BBC, 'Kris: Dying to live', Retrieved - June 03 2015
  24. ↑ BBC, 'Lisa Lynch longed for The C Word to be brought to life – it was an honour to be involved', Retrieved - June 03 2015
  25. ↑ Fame Magazine, 'Fearne Cotton Presents Festifeel 2012', Retrieved - May 14, 2013
  26. ↑ Lomography, 'CoppaFeel! And Get Festival Photo-Passes!', Retrieved - May 14, 2013
  27. ↑ 'CoppaFeel! lands in Leeds', Retrieved - May 17, 2013
  28. ↑ 'This is Bath, 'CoppaFeel! chosen as official charity for next year's Bath half marathon', Retrieved - May 17, 2013
  29. ↑ Campaign, 'Mathew Horne tells cinema goers to 'CoppaFeel!' in breast cancer awareness ad', Retrieved - May 21, 2013
  30. ↑ Independent, 'Why is breast cancer awareness made so sexy?', Retrieved - May 17, 2013
  31. ↑ The Sun, 'All advice and drugs for breast cancer are aimed at women but I got it as well', Retrieved - May 21, 2013

External links

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