You’re sitting there with a plate of lukewarm nachos, the Eagles and Chiefs are trading blows on the screen, and suddenly the vibe shifts. Most Super Bowl ads are about beer, trucks, or some celebrity poking fun at themselves. But during Super Bowl LIX, Novartis decided to take a massive gamble. They didn't sell a pill. They didn't pitch a new treatment. Instead, they aired a commercial called "Your Attention, Please" that basically called out every single person in the room for looking at breasts for all the wrong reasons.
Honestly, it was a bit of a shock to the system.
The breast cancer super bowl commercial 2025 wasn't just another pink-ribbon montage. It was provocative. It was jarring. And for some viewers, it was actually a little uncomfortable. But that was exactly the point.
What Actually Happened in the Novartis Ad?
If you missed it or were too busy arguing about a holding penalty, here is the breakdown. The ad starts with a barrage of images that society usually fixates on: cheerleaders, high-fashion models, even classical art. It leaned into the "male gaze" hard. Then, it flipped the script.
Wanda Sykes, who is a breast cancer survivor herself, and Hailee Steinfeld appeared on screen to deliver a blunt reality check. The message was simple: if we’re going to spend this much time looking at breasts, maybe we should start paying attention to the health of the people they belong to.
Sykes’ involvement wasn't just a celebrity cameo. She has been very open about her 2011 diagnosis, which happened almost by accident during a breast reduction surgery. She often tells people, "I went with life," when talking about her double mastectomy. That kind of raw, lived experience gave the ad a level of "street cred" that most pharma commercials lack.
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The Numbers That Sparked the Campaign
Why spend $7 million or more on a 60-second spot just to talk about screenings? The data Novartis and their partners at Susan G. Komen and TOUCH (The Black Breast Cancer Alliance) were looking at is actually pretty terrifying.
- Only about 50% of women are currently staying up to date with their annual mammograms.
- Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in U.S. women.
- There has been an "alarming rise" in cases among younger women under 50.
- Black women are 40% more likely to die from the disease than white women, often due to later diagnoses.
These aren't just dry stats. They represent a massive gap in care. Victor Bulto, the president of Novartis US, basically said they wanted to "create a movement" rather than just push a product. They saw that the Super Bowl audience is nearly half female and decided it was the only stage big enough to move the needle.
Why the Commercial Was So Polarizing
Not everyone loved it. If you went on Reddit or X (formerly Twitter) five minutes after it aired, the "breast cancer super bowl commercial 2025" was a lightning rod.
Some survivors felt the ad "hyper-sexualized" a disease that is painful, messy, and decidedly un-sexy. One patient on a popular forum mentioned being "horrified" by the imagery, arguing that the focus should be on the women, not the body parts. There was also a fair bit of criticism regarding accessibility—specifically that the most important spoken parts by Sykes weren't always clearly captioned in every version, making it hard to catch the message in a loud Super Bowl party environment.
But on the flip side? The ad won the top spot in the 21st Kellogg School Super Bowl Advertising Review. Marketing experts praised it for "defying the norms." Usually, pharma ads are filled with people fly-fishing or walking in slow-motion through a park while a narrator lists side effects like "sudden loss of vision." This was different. It was an unbranded awareness blitz designed to drive people to a risk assessment tool.
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The Hailee Steinfeld Factor
Including Hailee Steinfeld was a calculated move. While Wanda Sykes speaks to the Gen X and Boomer crowd, Steinfeld brings in the younger demographic. With the rise of breast cancer in women under 40, Novartis was clearly trying to reach people who think they’re "too young" to worry about it.
Steinfeld’s message was basically: "Know your risk now." It wasn't about scaring people; it was about empowerment. By pointing viewers to YourAttentionPlease.com, the campaign provided a tangible next step—a risk assessment quiz called the Tyrer-Cuzick Risk Assessment Calculator.
Beyond the 60-Second Spot
The commercial was just the tip of the iceberg. Novartis also partnered with Living Beyond Breast Cancer and Breastcancer.org to push for legislative changes. They’re looking to improve access to advanced imaging—the kind of stuff that goes beyond a basic mammogram—so that cost isn't the reason someone dies from a preventable stage of the disease.
It’s easy to be cynical about a multi-billion dollar drug company spending millions on a TV ad. But the reality is that early detection leads to a 99% survival rate. When you catch it early, it’s a whole different fight.
Actionable Steps for Your Breast Health
If you saw the ad and it actually made you think, don't let that momentum die with the final whistle of the game. Here is what you can actually do:
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1. Calculate Your Real Risk Don't just guess based on whether your aunt had it. Use a tool like the one provided at YourAttentionPlease.com or the American Cancer Society’s Risk360. It looks at your genetics, your lifestyle, and your history.
2. Talk to Your Doctor About "Density" A lot of women have dense breast tissue, which can hide tumors on a standard mammogram. Ask your doctor if you need supplemental screening like an ultrasound or MRI.
3. Schedule the Appointment If you’re over 40—or younger with a family history—and you haven't been screened in over a year, call today. Most insurance covers 100% of the cost of a screening mammogram under the Affordable Care Act.
4. Know Your "Normal" Self-exams aren't a replacement for mammograms, but you should know what your body feels like. If something changes—a lump, skin dimpling, or persistent pain—get it looked at. Don't wait for your "scheduled" appointment.
The 2025 Super Bowl gave us a lot to talk about, from the halftime show to the final score. But for millions of women, the most important takeaway was a 60-second reminder that paying attention is a life-saving habit.