LOS ANGELES, April 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Stand Up To
Cancer (SU2C), Mastercard and Marvel Studios' Avengers:
Endgame announced today that they are teaming up to take down
one of the biggest villains of all, cancer, with an impactful new
Public Service Announcement scheduled to launch in April.
The PSA campaign features Marvel Studios' Avengers:
Endgame Super Heroes alongside real-life heroes: cancer
survivors. The two global brands are collaborating to raise
awareness for SU2C to help all patients become long-term survivors.
The PSA will come to life across print, TV, radio, digital and
out-of-home networks, aligning with the premiere of Marvel Studios'
Avengers: Endgame in theaters April
26, 2019.
The new PSA is the latest collaboration between SU2C and
Mastercard, marking Mastercard's 10th year as a
supporter of SU2C. To date, Mastercard has donated more than
$45 million to SU2C's collaborative
cancer research programs, providing invaluable support for research
leading to five FDA approvals for new cancer therapies. This marks
the second collaboration between SU2C and Marvel Studios, who
collaborated with American Airlines, a longstanding donor to SU2C,
on a PSA campaign tied to Marvel Studios' Avengers: Infinity
War in 2018.
"It's incredible to look back at the impact our donations have
had on cancer research. We are so proud of what we have been able
to accomplish with the help of our cardholders over the last ten
years," said Cheryl Guerin,
executive vice president, North
America marketing and communications, Mastercard. "This new
campaign gives us the extraordinary opportunity to spotlight the
heroes of our community— those who have defeated cancer in their
own lives. It further underscores the message that no one is alone
standing up to this disease and that we are stronger when we join
forces. We are so honored to collaborate with Stand Up To Cancer
and Marvel Studios' Avengers: Endgame on this galvanizing
PSA. Together, we want to create a future where everyone facing a
cancer diagnosis becomes a long-term survivor."
"It's a privilege to team up with Stand Up To Cancer and its
long-time supporter, Mastercard, to spotlight the true heroes of
our world," said Mindy Hamilton, SVP
of Marvel Partnerships. "On behalf of the entire studio, we deeply
admire the courage, strength and empowering Super Hero examples
that patients and survivors continue to set. We look forward to the
day when there is an end to cancer."
"At Stand Up To Cancer, collaboration is the cornerstone of our
mission," said Rusty Robertson,
Stand Up To Cancer co-founder. "We are so grateful to Mastercard
and Marvel Studios' Avengers: Endgame for standing with us,
and to all the survivors who bravely share their personal journeys.
This incredible collaboration illustrates how we can all be Super
Heroes."
The print PSA features Marvel Studios' Avengers: Endgame
cast members Brie Larson as Captain Marvel, Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, along with Pearl, a
pediatric cancer survivor, Arnold a Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)
survivor and Lori, a breast cancer survivor. Arnold and Pearl are
also included in the Spanish language print PSA.
The broadcast PSA, including TV and radio, also features
Chris Evans (Captain America) and
Brie Larson (Captain Marvel), as well as Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), Karen Gillan (Nebula), and Danai Gurira (Okoye). Survivors featured include
Arnold, Lori and Pearl, as well as Dave, an esophageal cancer
survivor, Phuong, a colon cancer survivor, and Robyn, a breast
cancer survivor. It is inspired by Stand Up To Cancer's UK
colleagues' innovative PSA, "The Takedown," which was created and
directed by Melissa Bolton-Klinger,
a Stage 3 head and neck cancer survivor. The US adaptation and
print campaign were produced by L Associates, an integrated
creative agency located in Hollywood,
Calif. that focuses on entertainment and brands.
Mastercard launched its support for SU2C with a
"Priceless" PSA which aired during the 2009 MLB World
Series. Since then, Mastercard has continued to collaborate with
SU2C, most notably on their annual dine out campaign. Over the last
10 years, Mastercard's donations have significantly supported
SU2C's research in immunotherapy, precision treatments, and the
development of technologies using blood tests to identify cancers
early, imaging cancers to understand tumor progression, and new
laboratory tools to target drug discovery and precision medicine.
Financial support from Mastercard currently is helping SU2C to
advance the new fields of convergence, bringing mathematicians,
physicists and oncologists together to investigate immunotherapy in
difficult to treat cancers, as well as cancer interception, which
seeks to diagnose cancer and pre-cancerous conditions as early as
possible, and develop treatments to intervene in the formation or
advancement of cancer.
In 2019, over 1.7 million Americans are expected to be diagnosed
with cancer, with 1 in 3 Americans diagnosed with cancer in their
lifetime. This compelling PSA campaign will raise awareness for
Stand Up To Cancer while also raising funds needed to continue
critical ground-breaking research.
Please visit StandUpToCancer.org/Mastercard to learn more about
the campaign, and follow us on @SU2C across Facebook, Instagram,
and Twitter for the latest updates.
About Stand Up To Cancer
STAND UP TO CANCER (SU2C)
raises funds to accelerate the pace of research to get new
therapies to patients quickly and save lives now. A division of the
Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), SU2C was established in
2008 by media and entertainment leaders who utilize these
communities' resources to engage the public in supporting a new,
collaborative model of cancer research, to increase awareness about
cancer prevention, and to highlight progress being made in the
fight against the disease. As of April
2018, more than 1,500 scientists representing more than 180
institutions are involved in SU2C-funded research projects.
The SU2C Scientific Advisory Committee, led by Nobel laureate
Phillip A. Sharp, Ph.D., with
support of the SU2C Science Strategy and Management Department and
the American Association for Cancer Research, SU2C's Scientific
Partner, implements rigorous competitive review processes to
identify the best research proposals to recommend for funding,
oversee grants administration and ensure collaboration across
research programs.
Current members of the SU2C Council of Founders and Advisors
(CFA) include Katie Couric,
Sherry Lansing, Kathleen Lobb, Lisa
Paulsen, Rusty Robertson,
Sue Schwartz, Pamela Oas Williams, and Ellen Ziffren. The late Laura Ziskin and the late Noreen Fraser are also co-founders. Sung Poblete, Ph.D., R.N., serves as SU2C's
president and CEO.
For more information on Stand Up To Cancer, visit
www.StandUpToCancer.org.
About Mastercard
Mastercard (NYSE:
MA), www.mastercard.com, is a technology company in the global
payments industry. Our global payments processing network
connects consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments
and businesses in more than 210 countries and
territories. Mastercard products and solutions make everyday
commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running a
business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more
efficient for everyone. Follow us on
Twitter @MastercardNews, join the discussion on
the Beyond the Transaction
Blog and subscribe for the latest news on
the Engagement Bureau.
About Marvel Studios' Avengers: Endgame
The
grave course of events set in motion by Thanos that wiped out half
the universe and fractured the Avengers ranks compels the
remaining Avengers to take one final stand in Marvel Studios' grand
conclusion to twenty-two films, Avengers: Endgame.
Kevin Feige produces Avengers:
Endgame, and Anthony and Joe
Russo are the directors. Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Michael
Grillo, Trinh Tran,
Jon Favreau, James Gunn and Stan
Lee are the executive producers, and Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely wrote the screenplay.
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SOURCE Stand Up To Cancer