MSK and R/GA Bring a Human Lens to Cancer Survivorship in New OOH-Led Campaign
Launched ahead of National Cancer Survivors Day, “This Is What We Do” uses stark portraiture, direct language and a broad media mix—including out of home—to put survivors, not diagnoses, at the center of the story
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) and R/GA are taking a more direct approach to healthcare marketing with “This Is What We Do,” a new brand campaign that rejects familiar sentimentality in favor of something more arresting: eye contact, plainspoken storytelling and a clear reminder that survivorship is about living, not just diagnosis. Breaking ahead of National Cancer Survivors Day on June 7, the work presents cancer survivors as whole people with families, careers and ambitions, while also spotlighting the clinicians and breakthroughs that help make those lives possible.
Visually, the campaign leans on black-and-white portraiture, declarative headlines and strategic flashes of MSK blue to create a look that feels premium, simple and unmistakably human. That visual restraint gives the creative strong out-of-home potential: the messaging is legible at a glance, the portraits are commanding, and the concept translates cleanly across large-format placements where a few words and a powerful face have to do the heavy lifting. In the campaign’s hero:60, survivors are introduced through matter-of-fact lines that land with unusual force, including one man told he had months to live 10 years ago and one woman who feared she would never have a child after cancer treatment—and is now shown with her son.
Additional :30 and :15 cutdowns extend the platform by focusing on individual stories, medical innovation and the doctors behind the outcomes. Directed by Andrew Litten of Easy Mondays, the films use a restrained visual approach that keeps the attention on each subject’s presence rather than on cinematic flourishes. The broader media rollout is equally ambitious, spanning TV, streaming, social, audio, print, OOH and digital partnerships tied to major cultural moments including MLB, the US Open and the Belmont Stakes.
For the out-of-home industry, the campaign is a strong example of how healthcare brands can use the medium not simply for awareness, but for reframing perception. By pairing bold portraiture with concise, declarative copy, MSK has built a platform that can stop people in motion and communicate emotional truth without overexplaining. It is branding with the discipline of editorial storytelling—designed to be seen quickly, remembered clearly and felt immediately.
What the team is saying
Eric Rosenbaum, CMO, MSK: “When people hear ‘cancer,’ the diagnosis can quickly become the entire story. But for the people we care for, life continues—families, relationships, careers, ambitions. We wanted this campaign to reflect that fuller picture and honor the resilience and individuality of every survivor who shared their experience with us.”
John Berman, Executive Creative Director, R/GA: “The most powerful storytelling has to have a human truth at its core. We focused on the irreplaceable humanity of each individual rather than the usual feel-good healthcare tropes. Every piece of creative is built to convey the profound truth that MSK helps people keep living the lives they love.”
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message for Movia Media
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