Bowel Cancer Australia is dispelling misconceptions that Bowel Cancer is an 'old man's disease', launching a new campaign that portrays the disease as a dangerous creature that attacks more than 1,700 Australians under 50 each year.

Titled 'Australia's Deadliest', the new campaign was developed by Ogilvy Health, who worked closely with five early-onset bowel cancer patients.

"Our challenge is people perceive bowel cancer as an 'old man's disease'. We needed to jolt them into reality, dispel this misconception, and help people understand bowel cancer can affect people at any age," said Ogilvy Health Group Creative Director, Nina East. "Through authentic real experiences, we portrayed bowel cancer as a deadly creature striking Australians aged 25-44. We set out to make a confronting campaign that would make a difference. We needed something that would motivate people to be vigilant and look for symptoms. Thanks to the bravery of five phenomenal patients and an amazing client partnership, I think we've achieved that."

The work is spearheaded by a 60 second film that was brought to life by award-winning production house AIRBAG, under the direction of Eddy Bell. It will also appear in out-of-home, digital media, social media, print and radio.

"I'm incredibly grateful to have been part of this campaign, not only for the opportunity to tell the journeys of the amazing patients involved, but it also gave me a chance to start a dialogue around this disease with my own loved ones," said Bell, Director at AIRBAG.

The creative leans into the imagery and style of tabloid journalism to tell real and confronting stories about bowel cancer.

"Younger people are dying from a disease that is 99% treatable when caught early, yet bowel cancer awareness remains low. This campaign aims to change that. To cut through the noise and give early-onset bowel cancer a face that truly resonates with Australians," said Marketing and Publicity Manager, Bowel Cancer Australia, Stephanie Bansemer-Brown. "The incredible teams at Ogilvy Health and AIRBAG Productions were thoughtful, considered, and collaborative to ensure the authentic voice and reality of people living with early-onset bowel cancer was at the heart of the campaign. As a bowel cancer survivor, I am so proud of this campaign and the bravery of Nina, Jake, Rachel, Kin, and Anthony who feature in it, to highlight the impact of this disease on younger Australians."