With one in three Americans facing a cancer diagnosis and nearly 90% delaying recommended screenings despite survival rates above 90% with early detection, the need to shift behavior was urgent. Data from the Prevent Cancer Foundation reinforces this opportunity: 73% of people are more likely to schedule a screening after learning about the benefits of early detection, and 61% say simple reminders would help motivate them to do so.
As a leader in supplemental insurance and a pioneer in cancer insurance, Aflac has spent nearly 70 years supporting individuals and families facing the physical, emotional and financial impacts of cancer while advocating for childhood cancer care. With this deep understanding, and the knowledge that early detection saves lives, Aflac is moving toward an ambitious goal of increasing cancer screenings nationwide by 10% over the next decade. That ambition became a breakthrough idea grounded in simplicity—one designed to change the trajectory and make Aflac synonymous with driving impact on early detection. With Zeno, Aflac launched Check for Cancer to encourage a culture of prevention and make early detection harder to overlook.
At its core, Check for Cancer is about encouraging people to take a simple first step: Learn about their cancer risk and understand which screenings may be recommended for them while tackling the larger public health crises of declining cancer screening rates.
The strategy behind Check for Cancer was to create a simple, scalable and culturally embedded movement that would stand out in a culture saturated with health messages. Zeno and Aflac knew traditional PSAs wouldn't cut it and decided to transform the ubiquitous checkered pattern, seen on jerseys, handbags, flags, and sidewalks, into a bold, unmissable visual cue: a universal reminder to “check” for cancer that could live everywhere people live, work, and play.
The idea was pervasive: once people notice them, they become impossible to ignore. What if those everyday checkered patterns became reminders to schedule a checkup?
Aflac and Zeno transformed this familiar pattern into a behavioral prompt, using it as a visual reminder to schedule a screening and assess personal risk. This recognizable design became the foundation for a national effort to increase cancer screenings by 10% over 10 years. More than simply educating, the campaign aimed to utilize a bold pattern to encourage a bold move. It reinforced a simple truth: one appointment, one screening, or one decision can make a life-changing difference.
To bring this idea to life, Aflac and Zeno launched an integrated, multi-channel campaign that blends storytelling, live experiences, creator partnerships and employee engagement to build sustained momentum.
Driving national awareness through storytelling. Aflac debuted a commercial featuring employees impacted by cancer during ESPN’s Aflac Kickoff Game and amplified it across digital and social channels. Fans engaged with interactive experiences, educational resources and an on-field interview with Hall of Fame basketball coach and cancer advocate Dawn Staley.
Creating immersive experiences. Aflac brought the campaign into communities through high-visibility activations, including a checkered duck boat at the Head of the Charles® Regatta in Boston and a takeover of a major Harvard-area MBTA station featuring more than 70 placements. Street teams distributed merchandise, sparked conversations, and encouraged people to learn about their cancer risks and screening guidelines.
Leveraging trusted voices. Cancer survivor and sports broadcaster Erin Andrews served as a campaign ambassador, while creators and advocates affected by cancer shared personal stories that reinforced the importance of early detection and preventive care.
Generating national conversation. A targeted media relations program included a national press release, strategic outreach, and a satellite media tour featuring Broadway actress, breast cancer survivor and creator Sarrah Bentley, helping extend the campaign’s reach nationwide.
Turning awareness into action. To encourage participation, Aflac pledged to donate $5 for every social media post using #CheckForCancer, up to $1 million, benefiting childhood cancer care and research at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center.
Mobilizing employees. Aflac employees and agents became advocates for the movement through campus-wide activations, contests, story sharing and screening reminders during open enrollment. Free mobile mammogram units on campus further reduced barriers to preventive care and helped employees prioritize their health.
Check for Cancer became a culture-shaping movement, blanketing both physical and digital environments and turning a familiar pattern into a national call to action in just four months. This campaign didn’t only generate attention, it drove a greater understanding of early cancer detection and improved screening behaviors that can save lives.
The campaign reached 17,000 Aflac employees, alongside 19 million views across billboards and activations, 2.7 billion media impressions and 2.5 million social engagements. But the true measure of success was behavior change: a 65% increase in employee mammograms and a commitment deeply embedded in every corner of the organization. As Aflac’s Chief Communications Officer shared, the work was “transformative…far more than a campaign; it’s a platform that strengthens our longtime commitment to fighting cancer.” From supporting families and children going through pediatric cancer journeys to emphasizing the benefits of early detection, Aflac comes full circle to tackle cancer.
The campaign also achieved:
60 unique media placements across verticals including People Magazine, Parade, Women’s Health, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Fox News
1 million estimated views through social media creators/influencers
1.9 million estimated reach through the Aflac Kickoff Game via ESPN commercial, Coach Dawn Staley in-game interview, activation visitors, and in-game attendees
36,232 views on the aflac.com/checkforcancer landing site
3,000 employee interactions with internal Check for Cancer content
By motivating early detection at scale, the effort not only targets improving survival rates but can also help reduce the enormous burden of cancer places on patients, health care systems and society at large.
