Trigger warning! The following press release discusses suicide.
Berlin, November 1, 2024 – Berlin International Gaming (BIG), one of Germany's leading esports organizations, is teaming up with L'Oréal Men Expert and Movember to launch the #GROWBIG campaign – an initiative to raise awareness for men's health. The campaign advocates for promoting mental health as well as the prevention of prostate and testicular cancer. With its focus on BIG's predominantly young, male community, the campaign aims to bring this important topic into the public spotlight and provide urgently needed education.
The figures and facts gathered by Movember are alarming and make clear that broad awareness can save lives:
- Prostate cancer: Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer among men in Germany and the second most common cause of cancer-related death. Approximately one in six men (17.5 percent) will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime, and one in seventeen (5.8 percent) will die from it. Germany has the highest number of prostate cancer deaths in Europe.
- Testicular cancer: Among young men aged 20 to 39, testicular cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer. In 2020 alone, more than 4,500 cases were diagnosed in Germany, with an estimated 158 deaths from this disease.
- Mental health and suicide: In Germany, an average of 19 men take their own lives every day. Men are disproportionately affected by suicide, accounting for approximately 75% of all suicide cases.
To raise awareness of these dramatic figures, the #GROWBIG campaign kicks off on November 1 with a series of social media activities on BIG's channels. Awareness posts and videos will spread key information about men's health, with a focus on mental health and the importance of preventive care for prostate and testicular cancer.
The highlight of the campaign is the concluding #GROWBIG charity stream on November 30, 2024, in which BIG influencers and esports professionals compete against each other in various games. Before each match, viewers receive personal insights into the lives of the esports players, including interviews about mental challenges and the pressures of competitive gaming. The stream provides a platform to authentically center men's health and raise awareness within the community.
"The partnership with L'Oréal Men Expert and Movember is a special highlight for BIG as the year comes to a close," says Daniel Finkler, CEO of BIG. "We are excited not only about the collaboration, but also about the opportunity to bring the important topic of men's health even more into the public spotlight. The team at L'Oréal Men Expert and Movember are now carrying these crucial messages into our young esports community, which is more than 90 percent young men. We want to reach all of these people during our #GROWBIG campaign and the concluding live stream at the end of the month, raise awareness with hard but important facts, and educate them on the topic. We are proud to be part of this important mission."
The #GROWBIG campaign appeals to men to engage with their health early and integrate the topic into their daily lives. The campaign invites all supporters to actively participate in this mission and make a meaningful contribution to men's health.
For more details on men's health, please visit the official website of Movember and follow upcoming BIG announcements on X, Instagram, and Facebook.
Anyone who wants to support this mission and the #GROWBIG campaign together with L'Oréal Men Expert, Movember, and BIG can find all donation information on the following website:
https://tiltify.com/@berlin-international-gaming/movember
About Movember
Since 2003, Movember has built a global movement for men's health and has funded more than 1,300 projects worldwide since then. This supports research into men's health and encourages men to take more preventive measures. Movember is committed to the three biggest health issues facing men: prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health.
Movember has:
- Invested nearly $350 million in more than 600 biomedical research projects focused on prostate and testicular cancer.
- Funded 4 prostate cancer registries involving more than 200,000 men from 23 countries.
- Supported initiatives that guide men through prostate cancer and provide resources so they can proactively manage symptoms and share their experiences with others.
- Put mental health and suicide prevention front and center by bringing experts together, funding bold new approaches, and developing new perspectives. The focus is on prevention, early intervention, and health promotion from a men's health perspective.
Movember is there for everyone, not just men. The organization advocates for health policy that is responsive to the needs of all people. Great value is placed on how improving men's health can have a profoundly positive impact on women, families, and society as a whole. Movember is a global pioneer in motivating men to adopt healthy behaviors, question existing healthcare systems, and challenge gender norms to actually save lives. For more information, visit: https://de.movember.com/
#GOBIG