Passion Project

Here's me and my Dad.  In 2004 he was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer, the doctors estimated that he had had it for as long as 10 years, but because he had consistently refused to go to the doctor it had gone undiagnosed.  

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With the passing of my father, my brothers and I gained a new perspective on the importance of men's health, and in particular the importance of frequent doctors visits.  We have grown to love the "Movember" and "No-Shave November" (non-profit) organizations, which raise awareness of men's health issues by encouraging men to grow facial hair throughout November, as a physical reminder to keep their health in check.  Each November, we join the movement by growing out our facial hair.

This year, I wanted to do more than simply put down the razor for 30 days, I wanted people to know why I was growing that fuzzy caterpillar stache, so I asked my peers what Movember meant to them.  I quickly learned that most people know about Movember or No-Shave November, but they see it as a trend for proving masculinity, or just as a way to mix things up.  

With this is mind, I had a vision to help others see the real reason behind Movember.  My medium for spreading awareness was t-shirts that got to the heart of the message.  I recruited the help of my brother Brian (a graphic designer), and we designed these t-shirts and sold the most popular design on customink.com with all proceeds going towards the Movember organization.  

Although the t-shirts are a great conversation starter among those that personally see them, I saw potential through another medium—Snapchat.  With my design finalized, I contacted Snapchat and worked to get a customer filter created campus-wide on the first of November.  The approval process was tricky, but I was successful eventually.

The filter did well on campus with nearly 800 impressions tracked through the app in a 9 hour span, and an estimate of over 1000 total impressions through other channels.  

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Though my awareness campaign wasn't as viral or monumental as I had hoped it would be, I know that there were countless conversations started surrounding men's health.  If someone had had a serious conversation with my father about how he'd been neglecting his health, then maybe he'd still be here today. 

I love you Dad.