Funnyman Will Ferrell Wants to Lather You Up With Cause Marketing Sunscreen

The awkwardly-named Cancer for College is selling three varieties of sunscreen that strongly feature actor-comedian Will Ferrell. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the sale of the sunscreen benefit Cancer for College, which is a scholarship charity for cancer survivors and amputees.

The three varieties are ‘Sexy Hot Tan,’ ‘Forbidden Fruit,’ and ‘Sunstroke.’ Pricing is $11.99 per 6 ounce bottle.

All feature cheeky shots of Ferrell’s head on someone else’s body. Some of the shots are …ahem… more cheeky than others. The Sunstroke variety, seen on the left, has a double-meaning that also makes reference to Cancer for College’s several annual fundraising golf tourneys.

Cancer for College was founded in 1993 by Craig Pollard, a double-amputee and two-time cancer survivor himself. Pollard learned that many of his peers… kids who had also fought and won their battles with cancer… wouldn’t be able to attend college because of the financial toll cancer takes on families. He determined to do something about it. During his senior year at University of Southern California he wrote the business plan for Cancer for College.

Pollard and Will Ferrell were fraternity brothers in Delta Tau Delta fraternity at USC.

With his access to the media, Ferrell is a powerful friend to have, of course, and his participation has generated a respectable amount of publicity. Just Google ‘Will Ferrell sunscreen.’

Dame Anita Roddick, the founder of The Body Shoppe, proved that it’s possible, if not easy, to build a valuable worldwide brand without advertising if your cause resonates and you’re good at seeking and getting publicity.

But if the folks at Cancer for College want this to take off…and it could… they’re going to have to get the lotion into some other distribution channels. Roddick, of course, had retail channels.

The Cancer for College website seems hastily thrown together. But all the elements are there; there’s plenty of Ferrell, a good mix of the emotional appeal of Pollard’s own inspiring story and the kids who’ve received scholarships. It just need to be put together in a more logical and appealing way.