Who: Bumrun, with Good&Ready, Pirate Toronto, Married to Giants, and Wingman. Shot by Jesse Blight.

What: A new campaign promoting the annual Bumrun, a five-kilometre run in support of colon cancer screening awareness. Now in its 10th year, this year’s event will be held virtually because of the pandemic.

When & Where: The campaign broke last week with a 30-second TV ad and a 45-second video, as well as social media “bummerangs” and animated videos.

Why: According to Bumrun founder Dr. Ian Bookman, 73 Canadians are diagnosed every day and 26 people die. The goal is to drive people to the Bumrun website to register for the event.

How: Bums have long been a wellspring of humour, and they’re used to comedic effect here, albeit in support of a serious cause. Good&Ready co-founder and creative director Alan Madill describes the TV and video executions as “simplicity itself,” showing images of people’s posteriors as they jog. The music is Offenchbach’s famed “Can Can” with the word “bum” used to replicate the musical notes.

And we quote: “Colon cancer is one of the deadliest cancers, but if it is caught early enough, it is one of the easiest to treat. That’s why it is so critical that people get screened for it regularly. 73 Canadians are diagnosed with colon cancer every day, and 26 die.” — Dr. Ian Bookman, Bumrun founder