Festival-goers attending Blue Dot (18-21 July, Jodrell Bank) are to be warned about the dangers of unprotected sun exposure this summer thanks to a unique new Melanoma UK skin cancer awareness campaign, inspired by the iconic Hacienda and Factory Records music genre.

With the support of legendary New Order bassist, Peter Hook, along with Festival Safe, free samples of ‘FACtor51 The Suncream’ will be distributed at the event, each featuring iconic typography inspired by Manchester’s globally-renowned Factory Records.

Flyers and posters are also being given away to highlight the importance of sunscreen in the fight against skin cancers.

Distinctly branded with Factory Record’s unmistakeable yellow and grey chevron artwork, the FACtor51 suncream features the words “Use Sun Protection” in an affectionate tribute to the original “Use Hearing Protection” club night poster, now synonymous with the hedonistic rave scene.

Created for Melanoma UK by award-winning international healthcare creative agency, Havas Lynx Group, the FACtor51 campaign has been designed to capture the imagination of a new generation of festival-goers, aged 15-34 years old, for whom skin cancer is now the most deadly of all cancers.

Adding further credibility to the Havas Lynx Group campaign is the guidance from the agency’s Design Director, Trevor Johnson, who created some of the most influential artwork and branding for Factory Records at its peak.

The striking campaign artwork is also designed to resonate with first-generation clubbers who played their part in establishing the rave scene in Manchester, now in their 40s and 50s. According to Melanoma UK, while this generation is better educated on the importance of sun protection now, they are still highly susceptible to skin cancers due to the sun damage caused in their youth.

Commenting on the campaign, Peter Hook said:

“In the festival season alone, I’ve watched people slowly turn puce during the course of the day and while organisers will happily give out water to drink, they don’t hand out suntan lotion.

“Whilst we all enjoy the heat, you have to look after yourself.  The last thing you want to do is wreck your health. I like the idea of this campaign, I like the design, it’s funny, and if it draws one person’s attention and saves them, then it’s all been worth it, without a shadow of doubt.”

Melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer and, according to Melanoma UK, more common than many other cancers (e.g. breast cancer, bowel cancer, lung cancer) in patients in their 20s, 30s and 40s. By 2030, Melanoma will be alongside the top five cancers.

Commenting on the striking FACtor51 suncream campaign, Melanoma UK’s Diane Cannon, said:

“This Summer may not turn out to be as hot as last year in the UK, but with this campaign, we aim to remind people to protect their skin from the damaging effects of the sun even on cloudier days.

“Despite greater awareness of the importance of wearing a high protection sun cream, the continued popularity of the use of sun beds and sunbathing in general, is worrying. There are huge pressures on young people today to look tanned, fuelled by celebrities and social media. We need to stop this.”

“We also urgently need to reach out to people who are susceptible unwittingly – those who may be very careful now, but perhaps weren’t in their youth. Early detection is critical, as Melanoma is more difficult to treat in the later stages. This brilliant campaign will help us get that message across loud and clear.”

Havas Lynx Group CCO, Tom Richards, added: “It’s our job to make critical healthcare issues like this relevant and meaningful to all. We’ve developed a sun safety awareness campaign that is simple, visual and highly shareable on social media channels. It touches our target audience on a personal and emotional level, using the Hacienda and Factory Records’ iconic music as the rocket fuel needed to spread the word.

“We thank Bluedot Festival and Festival Safe for getting behind this campaign, which we hope will support the work of Melanoma UK, and ultimately save lives. We’re planning to extend the campaign to other music events in the coming weeks, so watch this space!”

The campaign has a microsite that monitors and highlights the UV levels across Greater Manchester. When the UV levels are high the microsite presents key messages to encourage you to apply suncream, supported on Instagram using the hashtag #FACskinCANCER

For more information on the campaign, visit: www.facskincancer.com

For more information on Melanoma, visit: www.melanomauk.org.uk

Survey around sun sense: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/T2FTW6M