Stand Up To Cancer

Stand Up To Cancer has crafted a new campaign to demonstrate that it is "Up2" all of us to stand up in the fight against cancer. As creative director/copywriter Janet Champ eloquently stated, "The fight against cancer isn't just up to someone else. It isn't just up to our neighbors or our relatives, or up to the rich or the famous, or up to doctors or scientists or politicians or some distant lab. Ending cancer is 'Up2' all of us."

SU2C set out to share this inspiring idea in a new PSA and print campaign called "Up2." It's Up2 you, it's Up2 me - it's Up2 all of us.

We asked Jesse Dylan to direct the spots and shoot the print campaign. Through his company Free Form, Jesse and his colleagues endeavor to create messaging and communications at the leading edge of the dialogue about health, social activism, global philanthropy, and ultimately compassion. Stand Up To Cancer's mission - to accelerate collaborative cancer research - was a natural fit.

During our first production planning call, we learned that our line producer, Sheila, had just received word that her sister had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Reminders of the urgency of our mission are never more than one story away.

We invited people to come show how it is Up2 each of us to fight against cancer by signing the Up2 wall. Our wall was signed by athletes, actors, musicians, scientists, researchers, nurses, patients, grandparents and kids, those touched by cancer, survivors - anyone who could come to set and share why it's Up2 each of us to end this disease.

SU2C's fantastic outreach team contacted our ambassadors, scientists, celebrities, and friends of the cause. Staffers, family members, and volunteer background players all came out on an early Sunday morning, and hung in there with us through a couple of long days of shooting.

Naturally we are thrilled that so many wonderful people came out to share their support, including Rob Lowe, Renee Zellweger, Mandy Moore, Kristin Chenoweth, Michael Strahan, Monica, Billy Bob Thornton, Derek Fisher, Robin Tunney, Diane Kruger, Rashida Jones, Minka Kelly, Travis Pfimmel and Sofia Vassilieva. A very special guest to join us at the Up2 shoot was DW Moffett. Don came directly to our set from his flight from Afghanistan to represent the Pablove Foundation, which was founded to improve the lives of children with cancer, in honor of Don's son's best friend Pablo Castelaz.

Stand Up To Cancer has made a wonderful friend in musical genius Dave Stewart, who, together with Ann Marie Calhoun, created a new anthem for Stand Up To Cancer, which provides the score for the Up2 PSAs, with a special guest vocalist appearance by Joss Stone.

In writing Stand Up To Cancer's anthem, Dave Stewart shared that his intention was to create a song that is not afraid to use the word "cancer." An extended Up2 PSA that features Dave Stewart's anthem is coming soon!

Special thanks go to DDB, Janet Champ and Rick McQuiston, Jesse Dylan and his team at Free Form - especially Priscilla Cohen, Sheila Tighe, Justin Giugno (our patient editor!), Janine Crisculo, Wonder Serra and everyone there. Many thanks to Dave Stewart and his team - Ned Douglas, Tony Quinn, and Kori Bundi - and the inimitable Joss Stone for sharing her soul and making the Up2 campaign rock.

Hope you like it.

- Bedonna Smith, SU2C Producer

"What never ceases to amaze me is that EVERYONE has a personal connection to cancer. Throughout the day crew members would come up to me to tell me how important it was to them to be working on this particular shoot because of how cancer has affected their lives. The line producer had just learned her sister was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The camera man's brother was in treatment. The caterer's mother had breast cancer. Everyone is connected and invested in finding the cure. We must find the cure!" --Pam Williams, SU2C Executive Producer