Cancer Research hires Fenix for fund-raising activity

Ben Bold,, Marketing, Thursday, 27 November 2003, 7:00am,

LONDON - Cancer Research UK has appointed direct marketing agency Fenix to handle marketing for its 2004 Race for Life event, which aims to raise more than £20m.

Fenix, which won the business following a competitive pitch, will be responsible for handling marketing activity targeting 325,000 women, urging them to participate in one of the 150 events.

Activity will commence next March in the build-up to the first event on May 5. Fenix will create posters to be distributed in shops across the country and a mailpack to be sent out to previous and potential participants.

Race for Life celebrated its tenth anniversary this year. In the first race, 600 women ran a 5km course around London's Battersea Park. To date the event has raised £35m, which has been used to fund research into cancer treatment.

Cancer Research's main direct marketing account is with WWAV Rapp Collins, but the Race for Life brief is separate and has previously been in-house.

In September, Cancer Research unveiled a £7.5m campaign called 'Death Repackaged', created by Bartle Bogle Hegarty, which accused the tobacco industry of misleading smokers with terms such as 'mild' and 'light'.

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This article was first published on Marketing