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People rarely look at the back of their own head. Barbers do. Every day.
Each year around 20,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with melanoma. One of the hardest places to detect it is also one of the easiest places for a barber to see. Yet almost no barber receives any training.
We turned the barber's chair into an unexpected opportunity for early detection by creating a beautifully designed handbook that teaches barbers how to recognise suspicious moles while doing what they already do best.
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With the design of the handbook, we aimed to create something eye-catching and striking — bold and independent, like a contemporary magazine. The photography captures barbershops across the UK, immersing the audience in the authentic culture of barbering. The illustrations are inspired by Victorian medical books, reinterpreted with a modern twist. We also created a bespoke “Hair Font” for the Alphabet of Melanoma section, designed in collaboration with British illustrator David Callow.
RESULTS
93M+ Total media impressions - without any media spend
3.7M+ organic social media impressions
1 in 5 barbers downloaded the guide
100+ customers advised to seek medical attention
16 countries reached
CREDITS
Creative Director: Michele Bona
Creative Director: Chiara Biondi
Creative Director: Michael De Piano
Producer: Lauren Payne
Producer: Sam Ojari
Film Director: Courtney Hopkins
DoP: Andrew Thomas
Camera Assistant: Paige Fisher
Gaffer: Yoann Desmoyers-Davis
Video Editor: Valentina Grossi
Assistant Editor: Antonio Canestri
Colorist: Valentina Rutigliano
VO Artist: Dave Hartley
Editorial Consultant: Margherita Rubini
Typography Illustrator: David Callow
Post Production: CUT& editing & more
PR Consultant: Claire Foss
Senior Barber: Richard Tucker
Senior Barber: Jaymarie Buckingham


Ruffians Marketing Manager: Elliott Pritchard
Melanoma Focus CEO: Susanna Daniels
Communication Consultants: Louise Akers, Ian Morton
Talents: Aaron Harris, Maasai Starlight Dearlove, Rufus Hunt, Alfie Thompson
Special thanks to:
Ruffians Barbershop
Fella Barbershop
East Central Barbering Co
London Beard Company
No Bad Days Barbershop
Huckle Barbershop
Jak Howell, Andrea Amighetti, Lewis Gumbrell Aka Sid Da Barber, JJ Savani, Giulia Campana, Miguel Gutierrez, Guy Kleinhaus, Sean Moore, Michael Holm, Savills Barbers & Academy, Anthony Hutton, Ky Wilson and Anthony Laban.
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