Let Fanny Fly
WHAT WERE WE AIMING FOR? It's time to address a sensitive topic: incontinence. Yes, you read that right; this isn’t a mistake. Elvie tasked us with raising awareness about incontinence, which impacts one in three women and up to 80% of new and expectant mothers, while also creating a memorable moment for Elvie’s pelvic floor trainer. The challenge is that few people are eager to discuss issues related to wetting themselves. Therefore, we needed a clever and slightly cheeky approach to initiate conversation, challenge stigmas, and promote the message that women should seek help.
WHAT DID WE DO? Incontinence affects one in three women, reducing their quality of life significantly. However, our research revealed that a staggering 72% of women don’t pursue treatment, primarily due to embarrassment. It's widely understood that humor can effectively address taboos. Consequently, we decided to head to the Edinburgh Fringe and promote awareness under the banner of ‘Pissing Yourself Laughing’. Our campaign included an informative pop-up event called the Pissing Booth and a giant 19-foot blimp named Fanny. Unfortunately, just as we were ready to launch, the Edinburgh Fringe unexpectedly canceled our pop-up, deeming it "unsuitable," and denied our blimp permission to fly over the City Centre. With less than ten days to go, we found ourselves without a venue for our... Fanny. This was no joke.
WHAT OCCURRED NEXT? We refused to back down. Instead, we called out the Fringe for being too timid to permit our campaign. Pivoting from our original strategy, we secured a sheep farm 30 minutes outside Edinburgh. We inflated Fanny and reached out to the Council and Fringe Festival, urging them to #LetFannyFly before the helium ran out. The campaign launched with the hashtag #LetFannyFly. We produced a video, images, and a news article, encouraging influencers to amplify our message. We also engaged the public through our Change.org petition. Despite heavy rain and a bit of sheep dung, Fanny became a sensation. Within just three days, the campaign amassed 220 media mentions, including coverage from The Sun, The Metro, The Times, and Bustle, reaching 8.4 million people on social media. On launch day alone, traffic to Elvie’s website increased by 35%, and our petition garnered 4,500 signatures.
Now you might be curious about Fanny’s fate. Despite popular backing, the Fringe still wouldn’t allow her to fly, though she remains ready for her airborne debut. So if you're interested in adopting Fanny, just let us know.
WHAT DID WE DISCOVER? People rally behind an underdog. Where there’s a determination, there’s a solution. When it comes to addressing taboos in women’s health, individuals are open to discussion if prompted by a worthy cause.