TBWA\MCR, Prost8 unveil ‘Dodge The Finger,’ the world’s first bum-controlled DOOH game

LONDON, UK – TBWA\MCR has created the world’s first Digital Out of Home (DOOH) advert to be controlled by a bottom for prostate cancer charity, Prost8.

Men are dying of cancer because they’re avoiding prostate tests, mistakenly thinking it involves a finger up the bum. ‘Dodge The Finger’ aims to correct that misconception by telling them it’s just a blood test.

The campaign was a Gold winner in Ocean Outdoor UK’s annual Digital Creative Competition which seeks and rewards original bold ideas in DOOH. The campaign also took the top prize in Ocean’s European Grand Prix which brings together the Gold winners across seven different markets.

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Around 12,000 men die of prostate cancer every year. Early detection could slash deaths by 40%. To tackle any misconceptions among men aged 50+ in particular, TBWA\MCR brings together the two things they like. Humour and arcade games.

This campaign shows the scale and power of premium DOOH across Europe, all screens working together to ensure messaging to audiences has impact, at the right time during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

The centrepiece is a retro-style playable game which invites players to control a virtual bum with their own backsides, using Ocean’s skeletal tracking technology to avoid the fingers as they move across the big screen. The games was played at Printworks, Manchester, UK on 4th March and appears at Westfield Stratford City in London on 14th March, the days and locations chosen to coincide with big match days.

The campaign is supported with messages across some of Europe’s biggest screens including Amsterdam Leidseplein, The Halo at Westfield Scandinavia in Stockholm, the Iconic at Field’s, Copenhagen; Lepakko, Helsinki; The Centro Lights, Oberhausen; and in London, The Screens @ Canary Wharf, Reuters Plaza, and in 3D on Landsec’s Piccadilly Lights.

Ocean Studio has filmed the campaign, creating an asset to share across social media.

The work is an evolution of TBWA\MCR’s previous award-winning campaign for Prost8 in 2023 called ‘The Other Prostate Check’ which similarly sought to dispel long-held beliefs about prostate cancer examinations. Prost8 is dedicated to helping men receive less invasive prostate cancer treatment.

Lisa Nichols, executive creative director, TBWA\MCR, said: “To be able to say that you’ve created the world’s first ad controlled by a bum is something any creative agency would jump at. But for the team here at TBWA\MCR to be able to do it for Prost8 and raise awareness around a test that could help save men’s lives is even better. Thanks to a really bold client and Ocean Outdoor’s unique DOOH technology – we’re hopefully going to get more blokes talking about prostate cancer and going for that test. Which is just a blood test guys, so please get tested.”

Paul Sayer, founder and CEO of Prost8, added: “The earlier we catch prostate cancer, the better the treatment. It’s why we need to educate every man possible about PSA testing. Thanks to the creative brilliance of TBWA\MCR and the extraordinary reach of Ocean Outdoor, allied to a charity changing the face of prostate cancer treatment, Prost8 UK, this campaign will help tens of thousands of men survive prostate cancer better.”

Helen Haines, director of strategic projects, Ocean Group, said: “Challenging misconceptions about prostate checks saves lives, and this level of media exposure broadens the impact significantly beyond the UK. Using humour on Europe’s biggest screens is a powerful way to connect with the men who need to hear this message.”

CAMPAIGN CREDITS

Title: Dodge The Finger
Client: Prost8

Client name
Paul Sayer

Client job title
Founder

Creative Agency
TBWA\MCR

Copywriter
Glenn Scholefield

Art director
Tom Holmes

Designer
Tom Holmes

Head of Design
Daniel Bickerton

Media Provider and Planning
Ocean Outdoor

Head of Ocean Labs UK
Melanie Blood

Creative Client Director
Xavier Keenan