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One of the most dangerous things on our beaches this coming summer is skin cancer. To spread this message, we had to do something big.
Learn moreUnfortunately, Australia continues to hold the highest skin cancer incidence rate in the world, with melanoma known as Australia’s national cancer.1,2 At BMS Australia we have been working to raise public awareness on the importance of prevention and early detection of skin cancer, including melanoma.
In partnership with La Roche-Posay, we commissioned an evolving sculpture that increased awareness of this public health issue among Australians.
The sculpture quadrupled in size over the course of its exhibition, drawing attention to the importance of noticing change for the early detection of melanoma. The value of self-examination and skin checks where appropriate was hammered home by Skin Check Champions, who performed over 2000 of these on-site.
The sculpture debuted at Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi, between 18 October and 4 November, 2024. This prime beachfront location made it a popular companion for sunbathers – leading to ironic pictures that projected our prevention message to mainstream media.
"We wanted to alert Australians to the danger of melanoma, but also to educate them on the signs of potentially concerning spots. Our sculpture, aptly named The Spot, was an evolving artwork that changed size, colour and borders over the two-week exhibition period. It served to remind Australians that the most important thing when self-examining is to know your skin, and to speak to your doctor if you notice changes."
Andrew Hankin - Artist of The Spot
With an estimated 450,000 visitors over the course of the 18-day exhibition, and coverage across consumer and social media that reached more than 1.85 million people, over 2.3 million Australians spotted our sun safe message.
Since leaving Tamarama beach, the sculpture has made its way to other locations around the country. It continues to remind people nationwide that melanoma is one of Australia’s biggest summertime threats - and everyone has a part to play in doing something about it.
Let’s continue to pioneer personal prevention this summer.
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- Skin Cancer Statistics 2022, World Cancer Research Fund International. Available at www.wcrf.org/cancer-trends/skin-cancer-statistics/. Accessed October 2024.
- Cancer Council Australia’s, Curing Australia’s National Cancer. Available at: www.cancer.org.au/about-us/how-we-help/ research/stories/curing-australias-national-cancer. Accessed October 2024.
© 2024 Bristol-Myers Squibb. BMS Medical Information: 1800 067 567. Bristol-Myers Squibb Australia Pty Ltd, ABN 33 004 333 322, 4 Nexus Court, Mulgrave, VIC 3170. ONC-AU-2400247. January 2025. BRMSOY0254.
