The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) today launched its annual Breast Cancer Campaign under the call to action #TimeToEndBreastCancer.
Under its ‘Beauty Inspired, value driven’ mantra, ELC puts people, positive impact and inclusivity at the forefront of its business, with its fight against breast cancer as one of the core pillars of its CSR-mission.
Since 1992, The Estée Lauder Companies has been uniting people around the mission to create a breast cancer-free world. The beauty company has been inspiring action and helping to fund research that will bring a cure closer.
ELC’s call to end breast cancer is more important than ever, with the disease now the most diagnosed cancer around the world, surpassing lung cancer for the first time in 2020 with an estimated 2.3 million new cases.
The Moodie Davitt Report is once again turning pink throughout October to support The Estée Lauder Companies’ annual Campaign.
We have turned our homepage and other media platforms pink in support of one of the world’s most remarkable and sustained Corporate Social Responsibility projects. All captions, cross-heads, sub-heads, links etc are also taking on a bright pink hue to underscore our support for this magnificent example of Corporate Social Responsibility. At the Virtual Travel Retail Expo (11-15 October), we are even turning the main Retailer Emporium pink.
The Estée Lauder Companies has been a corporate leader in the global breast cancer movement since Evelyn H. Lauder co-created the Pink Ribbon and started The Breast Cancer Campaign (The Campaign) in 1992.
A year later, she founded the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), the highest-rated non-profit breast cancer organisation in the US, dedicated to advancing research to eradicate breast cancer.
“As a Beauty Inspired, Values Driven company, we strive to make meaningful social investments toward issues that matter to our employees, customers, and partners around the world,” commented The Estée Lauder Companies Executive Chairman William P. Lauder [Click here for an interview with Mr Lauder].
“Family values are and have always been at the core of The Estée Lauder Companies. When my mother, Evelyn H. Lauder, started The Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Campaign and co-created the Pink Ribbon, she had a vision of a breast cancer-free world. The Campaign remains unwavering in its mission to help end breast cancer.”
The Campaign is ELC’s largest corporate social impact programme and supports more than 60 non-profit organisations around the world. It has raised more than US$99 million to support global research, education and medical services through the collective support of consumers, employees and partners worldwide, with more than US$80 million funding 321 medical research grants through BCRF.
In addition, ELC Travel Retail will commit US$250,000 for the funding of a research grant with the BCRF to support The 2021 Campaign.
Commenting on the donation, The Estée Lauder Companies Travel Retail and Retail Development Global President Olivier Bottrie said: “The Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Campaign is a reflection of our incredible employees’ commitment to help create a world without breast cancer and since BCRF’s founding in 1993, they have shown the true impact research has on saving lives. On behalf of all our travel retail employees, we are so proud to partner with BCRF to take this important step towards ending this disease and creating a new legacy of research together.”
BCRF’s mission to prevent and cure breast cancer by supporting the world’s most promising research. BCRF-funded researchers have been involved in every breakthrough, diagnosis, treatment and survivorship.
The Campaign’s key creative is centred around the Pink Ribbon, a universally recognised symbol for breast cancer. Breast cancer affects everyone it touches, from patients, to loved ones, doctors, caregivers, advocates and more. Therefore this year’s campaign features different shades, textures and designs of the pink ribbon to signify the diversity of breast cancer in the hopes of uniting the breast cancer community around the world.
The awareness-raising campaign features several key elements:
- The launch of a new social media campaign to encourage engagement and raise funds for BCRF. The campaign encourages people grab their favourite pink lipstick, draw a ribbon, and share their own personal breast cancer story using the hashtags #TimeToEndBreastCancer and #ELCdonates and tagging and inviting up to five people to participate and pay the message forward.
- For every public, in-feed Instagram, or Facebook post during the month of October featuring both #TimeToEndBreastCancer and #ELCdonates together, ELC will donate US$25 to @bcrfcure up to US$150,000.
- To reinforce the company’s legacy of breast cancer awareness and its commitment to promoting Racial Equity, ELC and the Lauder Family will invest US$1 million over two years to fund research that seeks to eliminate breast cancer disparities. Through grants with BCRF, two important new initiatives will be supported.
- The Illumination of buildings, monuments and landmarks worldwide in glowing pink lights to raise awareness of breast health – including the Empire State Building in New York City and the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
- The distribution of informational brochures and pink ribbons at The Estée Lauder Companies’ beauty brand counters worldwide.
- The mobilisation of employees to positively impact communities and unite in action and support more than 60 breast cancer organisations around the world
- A donation drive to BCRF through ELCompanies.com/BreastCancerCampaign.
The Estée Lauder Companies President and Chief Executive Officer Fabrizio Freda commented, “The Estée Lauder Companies’ success is deeply rooted in our core values and the positive impact we have on our employees, our communities and the planet. The Breast Cancer Campaign is an authentic cornerstone of our commitments to being a Beauty Inspired, Values Driven company and we will continue our work to drive positive change for the breast cancer community and beyond.”
The Campaign’s long-time Global Ambassador Elizabeth Hurley added, “My role as Global Ambassador for The Breast Cancer Campaign continues to be my life’s most meaningful work. I joined Evelyn to work on The Campaign shortly after she started it in the early 1990’s.
“Over the years, I’ve seen the powerful impact The Estée Lauder Companies has had on the global breast cancer community, including groundbreaking progress made through the research The Campaign has funded to advance science, treatments, and care. We must carry on Evelyn’s legacy and come together in support of The Campaign and help to find a cure for this disease.”
This year, 19 of The Estée Lauder Companies’ beauty brands will support The Campaign’s mission: AERIN, Aveda, BECCA, Bobbi Brown, Bumble and bumble, Clinique, Darphin, DKNY, Donna Karan, Estée Lauder, GLAMGLOW, Jo Malone London, La Mer, Lab Series, Origins, Prescriptives, RODIN olio lusso, Smashbox, and Tom Ford Beauty. Each will contribute by selling Pink Ribbon Products or making donations to BCRF and/or other charitable organisations around the world. The assortment differs by country and organisation.
Through the collective efforts of ELC’s employees, stakeholders and partners, The Campaign remains at the forefront of driving real progress in the fight against breast cancer, bringing it ever closer to achieving its mission of creating a breast cancer-free world for all.
To learn more about The Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Campaign, visit ELCompanies.com/BreastCancerCampaign
