Still, breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death among women in the western world. According to studies and statistics, every eighth woman in the US will get diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in her life. And every year, the numbers seem to keep going up. And because of this, more and more people get involved in creating breast cancer awareness in order to raise money to support breast cancer research.
And in a way, it's a kind of marketing campaign. And every successful marketing campaign needs a symbol and or slogan. And this is why most of us know of the existence of the breast cancer symbol, the pink ribbon. But where did it come from and are there any other breast cancer symbols? The most popular breast cancer symbol is the pink ribbon. It was first used in 1990, and we all remember when the red AIDS ribbons where used all over the place to create awareness and demonstrate support to the people who got infected.
But where does the "pink" come from? It goes back to the saying: "in the pink of health", which is a reference to a person who is healthy. So in other words, pink is associated with good health, and therefore, the pink ribbon was chosen as the breast cancer symbol.
From a marketing perspective, there is more than meets the eye. Pink is a color that is bright but bold, and feminine. So it's a perfect to represent a the awareness of a disease that primarily affects women. I said primarily, because men can get breast cancer, too. And men have there own, slightly modified breast cancer symbol, the blue ribbon. Well, it certainly has worked out well. I think nowadays, everybody knows about the breast cancer ribbons, and slogans such as: "Think Pink". The breast cancer symbol can be found almost everywhere, it is printed, on T-Shirts, baseball caps, comes in all forms and shapes on stickers, wristbands, and so forth. It has grown into a kind of fashion. Everybody can wear the pink ribbon, irrespectively of gender, age or statue. Politicians wear it prominently, celebrities do, too. You can see it on baby strollers and heavy duty trucks.
Some people might feel that it is getting too much. And I can see why, to be honest. However, I also believe that the “think pink” movement is important. After all, we still don't have a cure for breast cancer. And the money that is being generated by selling breast cancer symbols is needed for breast cancer research.