Dealing Cancer a Low Blow

The Ballsy Ribbon takes the well-known cancer ribbon, doubles it, and flips it upside down to look like a pair of testicles  

Testicular cancer is the most common solid tumour in young men and the cases of it are on the rise, but awareness levels are low, so how do you get them up? Hit ‘em where it hurts…their funny bones.



BC Cancer Foundation, the foundational arm of BC Cancer, which is one of the top centres in the world for treatment and outcomes for testicular cancer, teamed up with Rethink to produce a humorous twist on the cancer ribbon in an effort to give testicular cancer the sack.

"Breasts get ribbons, why not balls? Testicular Cancer Awareness Month is the perfect time to create a new icon for this often ignored cancer,” says Hans Thiessen, Partner and Creative Director of Design at Rethink.



“We want to make testicles top of mind during Testicular Cancer Awareness Month and encourage young men to perform self checks at home,” says Sarah Roth, President & CEO, from BC Cancer Foundation. 

The ribbons will be sold exclusively at London Drugs stores across BC during the month of April to coincide with Testicular Cancer Awareness Month, and donations can also be made directly at ballsyribbon.ca. 

“I think it is very important to continually seek better cures for men who go through this,” says Ryan Steele who faced testicular cancer. “Also, it’s so important for men to see their doctor when something doesn’t feel right. I can only imagine what would have happened to me if I didn’t go to my doctor sooner.”