Doping tests ‘accidentally’ save lives: Aster, TCS turn checks into cancer screenings

Aster Hospitals and Clinics in partnership with the Testicular Cancer Society and FP7 McCann has launched a campaign aimed at rewriting the playbook on men’s health with the Amateur Anti-Doping Test, an initiative that transforms routine checks — previously only accessible to professional athletes — into life-saving cancer screenings.

The campaign was brought to life in partnership with creative agencies FP7 McCann Dubai and McCann WordGroup, in collaboration with McCann Health Dubai, Craft and Markettiers. It  is running across Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, X, and other social platforms — but more importantly, it’s being carried by culture. The Amateur Anti-Doping Test kits themselves have become media, received through direct mail and sparking conversations in places that have historically avoided them.

In an exclusive conversation with Campaign Middle East, Federico Fanti, Regional Chief Creative Officer at FP7 McCann, said,  “Thanks to our partnership with Aster Hospitals & Clinics, the campaign also lives physically within their clinics across the UAE — bringing the message into real-world spaces where real action can happen. This is not just media distribution. It’s presence, relevance, and reach, embedded directly into amateur athletes’ everyday lives.”

The campaign is part of Aster’s ongoing objective to shift the conversation from illness-driven care to preventative care. Encouraging early detection is a core component that can go a long way in empowering amateur athletes and men in general to take proactive measures.

“Testicular cancer is one of the most common cancers detected in men and also curable if detected early, however more awareness is needed for people to be self-aware and take appropriate measures as needed,” Fanti explained.

The Amateur Anti-Doping Test kit

The kit includes:

• A step-by-step manual on how to perform a testicular self-examination
• A certified blood test tube that may help in detecting in cancer markers

The kit acts as a dual-purpose tool that potentially detects testicular cancer and is designed to complement self-examination. The process is simple:

Registration: Amateur sports group representatives sign up on amateurantidopingtest.com to have their athletes participate in the Amateur Anti-Doping programme. The kits are funded voluntarily by the amateur athletes themselves through their league registration fees.

Distribution: Upon approval, amateur sports group representatives receive the kits and distribute them to the athletes who have volunteered to participate in the program.

Sample collection: Participating athletes can take the sample kit to any Aster Hospitals & Clinics location, and provide their blood sample for analysis.

While awaiting results: Amateur athletes should use this time to review and master the testicular self-exam guide included with their kit. 

Follow-up care: If blood test results are positive for testicular cancer markers, or if anything unusual is noticed during self-examinations, athletes are encouraged to immediately consult with a qualified healthcare professional for proper medical evaluation and guidance. 

Ongoing prevention: Stay proactive – making monthly testicular self-exams a regular habit can detect problems early and potentially save lives, regardless of blood test results.  

The Amateur Anti-Doping Test Kit is not a replacement for regular self-examinations, but acts as an additional layer of awareness and detection.

Ideation and rollout of the Amateur Anti-Doping Test Kit campaign

FP7 McCann originated the idea and built the campaign from scratch. The creative agency developed the insight, the content and the physical test kit itself — except for the blood test tubes inside, which are provided courtesy of Aster Hospitals and Clinics — end to end, with next to no budget.

Fanti said, “This work is the result of a strong creative partnership with the Testicular Cancer Society, whose amazing founder, Mike Craycraft, survived testicular cancer himself. After the success of last year’s Highlight Your Balls sports-related campaign, we wanted to go even deeper. We knew we had to embed the message to check even more seamlessly into men’s lives. The result is the Amateur Anti-Doping Test — a behaviour-first idea that makes cancer checks feel like an aspirational part of the game, not a medical intrusion.”

He added, “We’re incredibly proud to partner with Aster Hospitals & Clinics, whose medical support, belief in the idea, and commitment to accessible care made this project not only possible, but incredibly powerful. This is creativity with a purpose — and a platform.”

Measuring the success of the campaign

Creative agency FP7 McCann is tracking engagement, participation, and behaviour. It is measuring how many athletes register, how many visit clinics, and — crucially — how many begin incorporating self-exams into their routines.

In a statement shared with Campaign Middle East, the Aster Hospitals and Clinics team stated that what they aimed to achieve was a cultural shift: when men start talking about their health the same way they talk about sport.

They added that the ultimate success of the campaign was meant to be human, not just numerical. If even one amateur athlete detects testicular cancer early because of this kit — or even by hearing about it — then the campaign has achieved its most important goal, the Aster team indicated in its statement, concluding, “that’s the kind of impact you can’t measure in impressions, but it’s the one that truly matters: saving lives.”

CREDITS:

Client: Testicular Cancer Society

Client: Aster Hospitals and Clinics

Creative Agency: FP7McCann Dubai

Creative Excellence:

Production:

PR

Chief Communications Officer – Lizzie Dewhurst – MCN

Client Director – Charlotte Joseph – Markettiers

Client Service