The Brief

The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) wanted a brand campaign to keep awareness levels of the charity high, and donations rolling in, as it continues to work towards its end goal of finishing cancer. Any idea had to complement the sponsorship work the ICR does in the running space, and involve influencers, and clinicians and scientists at The ICR.

The Big Idea

Quite simply, we gave them a race like no other – and it centred around the creation of a set of very special statement-stamping running shoes, all of which had the words ‘FINISH’ and ‘CANCER’ imprinted in the soles.

With the shoes ready to go we enlisted a team of celebrities, influencers, ICR staff and community champions to wear them and run along the sand of one hundred miles of British coastline.

Led by Greg Rutherford MBE and Erin Kennedy MBE, the runners all left the powerful, defiant message ‘FINISH CANCER’ in their wake, and collectively covered 167,000 steps – each one representative of a life lost to cancer every year in the UK.