The sun’s target market: Australians.

Melanoma haunts outdoor, in-the-sun Australians. It’s the most lethal cancer for those between 15 and 30.

To reach this elusive group, George Patterson Y&R created a mobile campaign for Melanoma Patients Australia, Melanoma Likes Me.

An application would search popular sun-linked hashtags and geolocations for posts from young Aussies in the sun. Then the agency’s social media team – as the creepy online persona ‘Melanoma’ – would ‘like’, ‘follow’ and comment.

The messages arrived in real time, ‘approving’ the sun-damage and cancer opportunity, to an overwhelming reception.

Messages from ‘Melanoma’ were retweeted, shared and re-shared through a vast social media network. The click-through rate to our Skin Check mobile site went to the highest level Melanoma Patients Australia had ever seen.