Watch these Singaporeans squirm when asked to say 'breast'

Apparently, two in five Singaporeans are uncomfortable using the word 'breast' in daily conversation. In a video by the Singapore Breast Cancer Foundation and DDB Group Singapore that left some red-faced, a respondent admits he only uses the word when ordering at chicken-rice stalls.

'Say #breast, save lives' is a two-part campaign to get people from the island-state to open up to saying the 'b-word' during breast cancer awareness month in October. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Singapore, and the foundation believes that real conversation about it can only begin when people are not shy about saying the word.

The video is the first part of the campaign. The second part asks the public to share selfie videos of themselves saying the word, using the hashtags #Breast and #BCFSG.

Thomas Yang, deputy executive creative director and head of art and design, DDB Group Singapore:

By putting a spotlight on the stigma attached to the word 'breast' in a watchable, likeable and shareable way, we show people how absurd it is and how they can easily and effectively contribute to the cause, just by saying a word.

The agency has been running outreach campaigns for Singapore Breast Cancer Foundation over the past six years, and Yang said it aims to reach more segments of society including men, kids, people in the corporate world and younger women.

The campaign will also be venturing to workplaces, where groups of employees will be encouraged to participate in the 'Say #Breast' exercise. Resulting videos will appear on the campaign website.

"The office is a place where people tend to be fairly reserved, yet it is also a place where people spend many hours of their day," Yang said. "Female employees are valuable assets in every corporation, so we really need to open up this conversation in the office to encourage employers, whether they’re male or female, to pay more attention to this important issue, the need for breast screenings, and hopefully to include mammograms in medical checks."

He revealed that the campaign will be rolling out more content with a "Word on the street" segment to seek soundbites from the public. The campaign is running until 31 Oct and will also include video stories of breast cancer survivors, family members and friends.

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