Companies Partner Together to Motivate Workers to Schedule Cancer Exams
Two years ago, faced with CEO Arthur Sadoun's HPV-related cancer diagnosis and treatment, Publicis Groupe took a bold step. They initiated "Working With Cancer," a collaborative effort across industries, aiming to eliminate the workplace stigma surrounding cancer.
Now, the company's nonprofit arm, La Fondation Publicis, has expanded this initiative with "Screening Time Off," an awareness campaign designed to encourage businesses to empower their employees to prioritize necessary cancer and health screenings.
As World Cancer Day (Feb. 4) draws closer, Publicis has enlisted the help of Jenna Fischer, an actress known for her role in The Office and a vocal advocate for breast cancer awareness. Fischer, a survivor of stage 1 triple-positive breast cancer, will front an awareness campaign, using her humor and recognizable persona to drive engagement.
Backed by a whopping $20 million in donated media, the initiative includes partnerships with pharmaceutical giants like Merck, Pfizer, and Sanofi, as well as consumer brands such as L’Oréal and Nestlé. A ** Times Square takeover** on April 3, 2025, amplified the campaign's reach [5].
This new endeavor aligns with the Ad Council's ongoing "Saved By The Scan" campaign, run in partnership with the American Lung Association, which focuses on lung cancer screenings [5]. Since 2021, this parallel initiative has raised doctor-patient screening discussions from 27% to 43%, leading to a staggering 44% increase in lung cancer survival rates over the past decade [5].
As the specific outcomes for "Screening Time Off" are yet to be seen, the approach mirrors the success of similar campaigns in boosting early detection awareness. The campaign tackles low screening rates, notably for lung cancer, with only 16% of high-risk individuals screened nationally [5]. By promoting normalization of employer-supported time off for screenings, Publicis aims to reduce preventable cancer deaths through early intervention.
- Publicis Groupe's nonprofit arm, La Fondation Publicis, enlisted Jenna Fischer, a vocal advocate for breast cancer awareness and a survivor of stage 1 triple-positive breast cancer, to head an awareness campaign for their new initiative, "Screening Time Off."
- The "Screening Time Off" campaign aims to encourage businesses to empower their employees to prioritize necessary cancer and health screenings.
- Publicis's "Screening Time Off" campaign is backed by $20 million in donated media and includes partnerships with pharmaceutical giants like Merck, Pfizer, and Sanofi, as well as consumer brands such as L’Oréal and Nestlé.
- The Ad Council's ongoing "Saved By The Scan" campaign, run in partnership with the American Lung Association, focuses on lung cancer screenings and has contributed to a 44% increase in lung cancer survival rates over the past decade.
- The "Screening Time Off" campaign tackles low screening rates, notably for lung cancer, with only 16% of high-risk individuals screened nationally.
- Publicis aims to reduce preventable cancer deaths through early intervention by promoting normalization of employer-supported time off for screenings, aligning with the success of similar campaigns in boosting early detection awareness.
