The journalist Katie Couric has turned a cultural reference into a public health message by resorting to humor. Twenty -five years after starring a televised colonoscopy that marked a milestone in the awareness of colorectal cancer, the communicator returns to focus on prevention but this time does it with a parody of the announcement of American Eagle starring Sydney Sweeney, which a few months ago became a viral phenomenon.
In the video of the Lead From Behind association and the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, which has been an idea of the Maximum Effort agency of Ryan Reynolds, the journalist appears lying sideways, dressed in a cowboy jacket and a hospital robe. The scene reproduces almost flat by plane the aesthetics of Sweey’s original announcement, but with a more transcendent turn: a reminder that most colon cancer cases are not related to genetic factors.
“Speaking of genes … Did you know that most people who develop colon cancer have no genetic predisposition?”says Couric in the spot.
The ironic campaign thus with the message of American Eagle and commemorates the 25th anniversary of that iconic televised medical intervention. To launch this video, Couric has returned to the set of the “Today” program, where in 2000 he was a pioneer by undergoing a live colonoscopy as part of his awareness work after the death of her husband, Jay Monahan, by colorectal cancer at age 42.
The campaign uses the same linguistic resource as Sweeney’s announcement – the game between genes and jeans – but with a different function. The final message of the spot, in large and light blue letters, parodies the phrase “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” and transforms it into “Katie Couric Gets Regular Screenings”.
The contrast between both campaigns underlines the ability of communication to change the meaning without losing the accessible tone.
The new piece of Lead from Behind joins other recent campaigns in which public figures such as Ryan Reynolds, Terry Crews or Dak Prescott have used their image to promote periodic reviews. Couric, who also convinced Jimmy Kimmel to become a televised colonoscopy in 2019, continues to bet on transmitting public health issues with ingenuity and authenticity.
