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 to 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.^[30] The advert's risqué nature received mass-media coverage.^[31]

Chris O'Dowd has also appeared in a viral video, raising awareness of male breast cancer which accounts for 1% of breast cancers.^[32]

References

External links

• Official website
• CoppaFeel! on Twitter