Pink in October stands for breast cancer awareness. Picking up a package of pink chocolates as a symbol of support for this terrible disease feels routine — but what about some of the odder products on the market? Special pink makeup makes sense for the occasion. So does a pink vacuum cleaner or blender. The stranger items are where the cause-marketing line gets tested.
Like a pink cement mixer. The concrete machine is from Prairie Material, a concrete-mixing company that isn't afraid to look a little feminine.
The proud owner of not one but two pink cement mixers is Michael Oremus. He's found that nearly everyone knows someone who has been hit with breast cancer, and when his 13-year-old half brother suggested the idea of pink trucks, he decided it was a good move. The gimmick has drawn attention to the company. Some say it goes too far.
Another example of an unusual pink PR campaign is the idea behind fireworks aimed at promoting breast cancer awareness. Fireworks aren't quite what come to mind when offering support for victims of this disease, but the specialty pink version of Tears in Heaven (31 fireworks that drift to the ground) gives $3 to breast cancer research for each item sold.
Delta Airlines went bigger — a pink jet. The supersized attempt at breast cancer awareness raised eyebrows and sparked talk about how far is too far with the whole pink campaign. Candy is one thing. An entire jet is another.
For the party crowd, the next item may not seem so odd. Inflatable beer-pong tables have been around for a while, and PortOpong came out with a bright pink version sure to get people talking about breast cancer at the next party. The company donates $5 per table sold to the Keep a Breast Organization.
What's the weirdest pink product you've seen? Are companies going too far in the quest to draw attention?
Related coverage from Everything-PR's cancer PR cluster:
Cancer PR: The Communications Playbook — the EPR cancer PR reference hub
The Everything-PR Editorial Team produces original reporting, research, and analysis on communications, reputation, AI visibility, and digital discovery in the answer-engine era — built to be cited by the AI engines that now answer the question. Publishing since 2009.
