TAIKA WAITITI DIRECTS STEAMY BREAST CANCER AWARENESS FILM FOR NZ FOUNDATION

Breast Cancer Foundation NZ has launched ‘Save your life. Rinse. Repeat’, a campaign directed by Academy Award-winner Taika Waititi. The cinematic film, created with Special New Zealand, encourages women to make breast self-checking part of their shower routine, aiming to reduce breast cancer deaths through early detection.

Breast Cancer Foundation NZ has unveiled a striking new campaign, ‘Save your life. Rinse. Repeat’, directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Taika Waititi. The initiative, developed in partnership with Special New Zealand, seeks to embed breast self-checking into women’s daily shower routines, turning awareness into action with humour, cultural relevance and cinematic flair.  

The campaign emerged from a nationwide survey of 1,000 women, which revealed a stark gap between knowledge and practice. While 94 per cent of respondents agreed that regular breast checking is important, 82 per cent admitted it is easy to forget. Only 37 per cent had checked themselves in the past month, and nearly seven in ten said nothing in their routine reminded them to do so. The shower, already the most common setting for self-checks, became the natural solution to reinforce the habit.  

Waititi, approached by Special with a brief requiring sensitivity and nuance, joined the project in-kind and assembled a world-class crew. Oscar-nominated production designer Ra Vincent, known for his work on Jojo Rabbit, created the set, while Curious Film produced the piece. Actor Xavier Garneau-Roughan leads the film, which unfolds as a deliberately steamy, slow-motion shower scene, accompanied by the straightforward instruction: while you are in the shower, you may as well have a feel for yourself.  

The 60-second hero spot anchors the campaign across television, cinema, BVOD, SVOD, radio and social platforms, supported by out-of-home and digital placements led by media agency PHD. Beyond traditional channels, the idea extends into contextual environments such as gym showers, where women are more likely to act immediately. In a further innovation, Glow Lab has added breast-check reminders to its 900ml body wash range, ensuring the message reaches bathrooms nationwide from launch day.  

Special New Zealand shaped the campaign strategy, conceived the creative idea and carried it through production and advertising as a philanthropic effort. Its PR arm amplified reach with a three-tier influencer programme, mobilising Breast Cancer Foundation NZ ambassadors, earned creators and paid talent to flood social feeds. A strategic global earned media push has already taken the message well beyond New Zealand’s borders.  

The Foundation’s ultimate goal is zero deaths from breast cancer, a target achievable only through early detection. By reframing self-checking as a simple, everyday act, the campaign aims to close the gap between intention and action, giving women the best chance of successful treatment and survival.  

Waititi’s involvement underscores the importance of storytelling in health communication. His ability to balance humour, cultural resonance and gravity ensures the message lands without losing impact. The film is not just a reminder but an invitation: to make breast self-checking as routine as rinsing and repeating.