In a bid to address the declining participation rates in bowel screening among multicultural communities in Victoria, Think HQ has joined forces with Cancer Council Victoria. The campaign, which specifically targets Punjabi, Hindi, and Vietnamese-speaking groups, is a response to the falling bowel screening participation rates in Victoria, which have dropped from 46.5% to 43.9% in the past year.

The Australian Government provides a free home bowel screening test kit every two years to Australians aged 50-74 as part of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program. However, Cancer Council Victoria identified a need for culturally sensitive content for Hindi, Punjabi, and Vietnamese speaking communities due to lower screening rates among people who speak a language other than English at home.

Kelly Dienaar, Head of Media and Communications, Prevention Division at Cancer Council Victoria, explained the issue: 'Research shows that Australians who speak a language other than English participate in bowel screening at a much lower rate. Often, members of these communities face significant barriers to screening, ranging from not being aware of their risk of bowel cancer to waiting until symptoms occur before taking action or believing that their diet will protect them.'

The campaign was created with the help of CultureVerse, Think HQ's multicultural communication and community engagement arm, and community leaders. The messages were built around cultural moments that could enable a change in attitude and behaviour towards bowel screening. Each video concludes with a Victorian General Practitioner from each respective community who delivered an in-language call to action: take the test today.

Andy Lima, Chief Creative Officer, Think HQ, spoke about the collaborative approach: 'Think HQ collaborated with writers from the Vietnamese, Punjabi, and Hindi communities to create an innovative campaign using our collective creativity approach. The co-created campaign resonated with all three audiences and effectively addressed specific community concerns through its messaging, language, and visuals.'

Jess Billimoria, Head of CultureVerse, emphasised the importance of community involvement: 'When we include community members right from the start we get improved outcomes, as our creative is informed by their experiences, as well as an understanding of the language.'

The integrated campaign consists of 30”, 15” and 6” video; 30” radio spots; social media tiles and supporting copy. It is a significant step towards addressing the health disparities among multicultural communities in Victoria.