Yes ASDA have raised a lot of money for Breast Cancer and I am very grateful to them for this, but I do find the 'Tickled Pink’campaign slogan childish and can understand how it is offensive to those who have lost friends to this horrible disease. It seems to me that the desire to raise funds (which I agree is vital) is being put above the needs and sensabilities of those they are trying to help. With all the money spent on PR and it should be possible to achieve a better balance and raise money for breast cancer but in a less saccherine way.
cheers
caroline
I really respect the way in which ASDA continues to raise both money and awareness of this horrific disease.It is the word horrific that makes me aghast at the ‘Tickled Pink’ slogan.I cannot imagine anyone in their right mind sitting round a table to discuss a tag for their campaign and saying.'ooh tickled pink-that goes just perfectly with breast cancer!!!1’They wanted pink and tried to come up with a way of including the colour in the catch phrase and tickled pink is the obvious one.It wasnt thought through,it cant have been.
So top marks for the campaign ASDA and a resounding fail for the title.
Val
Obviously no-one at the campaign has had breast cancer!! but although i dont like it much, it has raised lots of money and will continue to do so hopefully!!
The name is to appeal to people to give money and thats why the merchandise sells!
Personally anything that raises money and awareness has got to be good!
Debs x
Sorry Debs I think the name trivialises breast cancer and makes people less aware - as has already been said people can get the impression it is a ‘soft’ cancer. It insults the women who have died from it and the women who are dying from it.
My children have already been through so much, and actually this is just more of a smack in the face for me and them.
Tickled Pink - may raise money - but at what cost, when actually it doesn’t have to be this way. nI would like to hear that BCC argued hard and loud to change the name, but I hear no such message
Is it just me or do we keep going round in circles with this? Some people just dont get it and others just dont listen.
For me, pink is ok but tickled should read ‘bludgeoned’(spelling?)!!It is offensive and patronising.
I still hear and see Debsincornwall comments on tv .
My Mum died of BC 30 and i watched her. It was horrendous, she was not ‘tickled’ and neither was I at 12 years old. I appreciate the fundraising and awareness that is more prevalent now but NOT at any price.
Ten years I have been living with this BC cr… ,all for myself this time. Double mastectomy, chemo, hormonals,menopause you name it. I am psychologically damaged. Are things any better for my daughter?What does her future hold?
Well only if she can stomach looking at people with pink bunny ears and ‘i have been tickled’ pink knickers. I cannot take her to Asda as she finds it offensive. She is 12 and I have not said anything. Tickled pink means jolly, happy.her experience of BC is not that. She knows I am dying like the Grandmother she never saw…
You are right Juliet - we do seem to go round in circles, except I would like to hear from BCC what their attitude is to the ‘tickled pink’ name - do they find it offensive? Did they cave to the money? What was their position exactly? I think we are entitled to answers, so it would be good to have a response, unfortunately all too often bcc choses to ignore issues such as these.
I agree, this subject keeps coming round doesn’t it?
I think as someone has already said the the slogan is now such a well known one that it is a trademark on it’s own. As pink is such a part of it why not change it to ‘Think Pink’ as I’m sure in the area of charity giving most people think of Breast Cancer when they ‘think pink’. Just an idea. Di
I think ‘Think Pink’ is great Di…I’ve never minded the Pink.
Celeste I was really surprised BCC chose In the Pink for their last campaign. Yes it’s all circles, circles, circles. xx
Hello everyone. I’m posting this response on behalf of Murray Lindo, Director of Fundraising & Marketing at Breast Cancer Care:
"Thank you for all your comments.
As a charity we exist to provide support to anyone affected by breast cancer and we work hard to make sure that the views of people with experience of breast cancer guide the way in which we work. It is, therefore, of concern to us that any of our campaigns could cause offense particularly with some of the people that we are set up to support.
For those that find the Tickled Pink name offensive, we understand your concerns and are not happy to know that it has had a negative impact. However, we also hear from others, via these forums and through the recent research conducted, that many people do support the campaign.
Our 14 year partnership with ASDA and the Tickled Pink campaign has been extraordinarily successful in raising awareness of breast cancer and raising income with, and from, the general public and both ASDA colleagues and customers. The money raised (£13m in 14 years) has been vital in providing our wide-ranging, free support services for anyone affected by breast cancer and has also, in more recent years, gone towards funding research into it. Without the support of ASDA, their colleagues and customers, we would not have been able to provide the support to the many thousands that have used our services during this time.
We take care to consider the success of all our campaigns against the way they portray breast cancer, and we take the comments about Tickled Pink made on these forums seriously. Our partnership with the team at ASDA is extremely collaborative and we provide them with regular feedback. They, like us, have no desire to upset or offend. One of the reasons that we were chosen by ASDA originally was because of the impact that breast cancer has had across their workforce and with their customers.
The recent independent research that was commissioned was as a result of your feedback that we received and shared with them. The results of that research showed that Tickled Pink has a positive appeal for the general public, with 47% of respondents recognising its role as a campaign raising funds to support people with breast cancer. That is an extremely high level of recognition and pays testament to the impact the campaign has been able to achieve. Because of the high brand recognition that Tickled Pink has among the general public, we will, therefore, be continuing with the campaign name.
Over the course of the partnership we have always made sure that key messages about the impact of breast cancer are addressed within the campaign, but as result of your feedback and the recent research we all agree that we want to do more. This year we will be working even harder to highlight the objectives of the campaign – from raising understanding of breast awareness and the impact that breast cancer has, to helping the thousands of individuals who use our website, forums, helpline, publications and face to face services throughout the year as well as providing the funds for vital research. We will also be using the new strapline, ‘raising money to help people with breast cancer now and in the future’ to ensure people know exactly where their money is going.
Thank you again for your comments."
Murray Lindo
Director of Fundraising & Marketing
Breast Cancer Care