L’Oreal launches new campaign with Melanoma Research Alliance

09-Apr-2014 - Last updated on 10-Apr-2014 at 13:27 GMT

L’Oreal has announced that it is launching a new campaign with the Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) which looks to raise awareness of the dangers related to sun damage and promote the use of sunscreen.

The new campaign, the latest step in the alliance between the beauty brand and the private funder of melanoma research, is called ‘It’s THAT worth it’, and will comprise of a ‘public rallying’ campaign to encourage women to use sunscreen and support melanoma research.

The campaign will consist of Public Service Announcements, which will encourage people to sign up for ‘Thunderclap’, a worldwide crowd sourcing tool which will automatically post a message through the user’s social media on May 20th, highlighting the project’s aims of melanoma prevention and research.

Unexplored factors causing melanomas?

L’Oreal has been in the three-year partnership with the MRA since May 2013, and is set to donate $750,000 towards its research exploring the role of 16 variant genes as co-drivers in melanoma susceptibility, development and progression.

“People with genetically determined phenotypes such as light skin color which tans poorly, red hair, blue eyes or many moles are generally considered more susceptible to melanoma compared to those with none of these attributes,” they state.

The companies go on to suggest that as only a few members of this demographic contract the disease, unexplored environmental traits are likely to also play a role in the development of melanomas. The research aims to pinpoint these ‘environmental traits’.

“The expectation from the studies is the identification of co-drivers that cooperate with driver genes which will in the future be the targets for melanoma prevention and therapy,” they state.

All demographics

Although the companies acknowledge certain demographics with pale skin are considered more susceptible, according to L’Oreal’s recent study, Hispanic and African American women, among whom the incidence of melanoma is growing, are even less likely to take steps to protect their skin.

“Our hope is to help drastically reduce the growing incidence of melanoma in this country by educating women that sunscreen should be a part of their daily beauty routine, no matter your skin tone or where you live," stated Karen Fondu, President of L'Oreal Paris.