National Breast Cancer Awareness Month has inspired extensive corporate advertising.

Title: National Breast Cancer Awareness Month has inspired extensive corporate advertising.

Author: Jane L. Levere

Publication: New York Times

Publication Date: October 3, 1996

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, observed during October, has inspired national advertising and promotional campaigns worth millions of dollars by companies that traditionally sell to women, like Lee Apparel and J. C. Penney, and others not usually associated with women’s issues, like Boston Market.

There are several reasons that National Breast Cancer Awareness Month — established in 1985 to promote early detection of the disease that strikes one out of nine women in the United States — has gained increasing corporate advertising support.

One is the current popularity of cause-related marketing. According to Lesa Ukman, executive editor of the newsletter IEG Sponsorship Report, ”the way to sell a product in 1996, whether it’s a record or a gallon of gas, is to tie it in to things consumers care about, not differentiating it by price or product attributes.”

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Race for the Cure

Title: Race for the Cure

Author: Joelyn Flomenhaft

Publication: New York Times

Publication Date: September 14, 1995

To the Editor:

As the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation’s Race for the Cure approaches on Sunday, Sept. 17, I could not be more supportive of trying to raise money and awareness for this terrible life-threatening disease.

Having participated in this event for a number of years partly because someone close to me had this illness, I am sorry to say I will not be a participant this year.

This is because survivors who have registered for the race are given pink visors and race badges to wear and are encouraged to display the number of years as a survivor.

Breast cancer survivors who share their experiences and courage with others are to be commended.

However, breast cancer survivors should have the right to choose to make their illness public and not have their choice made for them by race organizers.

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