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Cancer Research UK “Cancer Is Happening Right Now, RIGHT NOW” 2016

Cancer Research UK “Cancer Is Happening Right Now, RIGHT NOW” (2016) is a Cancer Research UK commercial directed by Henry Singer for Anomaly. It won 3 awards, including British Arrows 2016 Silver — Charity.

This ad for Cancer Research UK highlights the urgency of cancer research by intercutting scenes of everyday life with moments of diagnosis, treatment, and scientific study, emphasizing that cancer is happening "right now."

Video: Cancer Research UK on YouTube

Shot by shot

  1. A young boy with light brown hair sits at a table, focused on drawing with a marker in a classroom setting.© Cancer Research UK0:00
  2. A blurred shot of a hospital corridor with a sign for "Oncology Day Case Unit Reception" and a woman walking past, seen through a doorway.© Cancer Research UK0:04
  3. A man with a beard and glasses looks intently at someone off-screen in a medical setting.© Cancer Research UK0:09
  4. A man with a beard and glasses looks up at someone off-screen, listening intently in an interior setting.© Cancer Research UK0:14
  5. A man with glasses and grey hair looks at a framed photo of a group of people in a hospital room, pointing at it.© Cancer Research UK0:18
  6. A close-up shot of a framed photograph shows four young women smiling at a party, with one woman in the foreground looking directly at the camera.© Cancer Research UK0:22
  7. A scientist in blue gloves uses a pipette and a tool to manipulate a pink liquid in a petri dish in a lab.© Cancer Research UK0:28
  8. A nurse in blue gloves adjusts an oxygen mask on a patient in a hospital bed, while a woman with curly grey hair watches intently.© Cancer Research UK0:30
  9. A bearded older man with glasses looks intently at someone off-screen in a medical setting.© Cancer Research UK0:35
  10. A male patient with glasses and a beard talks to a male doctor in a pink shirt, both smiling in a hospital room.© Cancer Research UK0:39
  11. A female nurse in blue scrubs with a butterfly pin smiles and crosses her arms in a hospital hallway decorated with paper chains.© Cancer Research UK0:46
  12. A young boy in a grey sweater and jeans stands in a hospital hallway, looking back at a woman in a red top and a nurse.© Cancer Research UK0:49

Stills © Cancer Research UK. Made by Anomaly and Henry Singer.

Every shot, full-quality frames and clips, and search across every commercial. Free account.

The idea

Intercutting everyday life with cancer's reality to show urgency of research.

Tagline: “CANCER IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. RESEARCH IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. LET'S BEAT CANCER SOONER.”

split narrativecontrast editingreal people, real storiessense of urgencyscientific discoveryemotional appeal

The cut

Length
60 s
Shots
23
Average shot
2.6 s

What creatives use Cancer Research UK “Cancer Is Happening Right Now, RIGHT NOW” for

  1. 01Reference frames for your treatment

    Pitching something with the feel of Cancer Research UK “Cancer Is Happening Right Now, RIGHT NOW”? A screenshot from a video player won't hold up in a deck.

    Download any frame of this spot at full quality, with its credits, or search every spot for the same look.

    A young boy with light brown hair sits at a table, focused on drawing with a marker in a classroom setting.© Cancer Research UKA blurred shot of a hospital corridor with a sign for "Oncology Day Case Unit Reception" and a woman walking past, seen through a doorway.© Cancer Research UKA man with a beard and glasses looks intently at someone off-screen in a medical setting.© Cancer Research UKA man with a beard and glasses looks up at someone off-screen, listening intently in an interior setting.© Cancer Research UK
    Frames from Cancer Research UK “Cancer Is Happening Right Now, RIGHT NOW”

  2. 02Shot list example: how it was cut

    You need the structure of a great spot, shot by shot, for your storyboard.

    Every shot of Cancer Research UK “Cancer Is Happening Right Now, RIGHT NOW” in order, with its length, framing and what happens in it.

    A young boy with light brown hair sits at a table, focused on drawing with a marker in a classroom setting.© Cancer Research UKA blurred shot of a hospital corridor with a sign for "Oncology Day Case Unit Reception" and a woman walking past, seen through a doorway.© Cancer Research UKA man with a beard and glasses looks intently at someone off-screen in a medical setting.© Cancer Research UKA man with a beard and glasses looks up at someone off-screen, listening intently in an interior setting.© Cancer Research UKA man with glasses and grey hair looks at a framed photo of a group of people in a hospital room, pointing at it.© Cancer Research UKA close-up shot of a framed photograph shows four young women smiling at a party, with one woman in the foreground looking directly at the camera.© Cancer Research UK
    Length: 60 s · Shots: 23 · Average shot: 2.6 s

  3. 03Ad ideas: every spot built on a split narrative

    Before you present an idea, you need to know who has done it, and how.

    Cancer Research UK “Cancer Is Happening Right Now, RIGHT NOW” is built on a split narrative. Search the library by idea to see every spot that uses it.

    Vans “Don't Try This At Home”© VansConfused.com “Confused.com - Feels like”© Confused.comCarnival “Lose Yourself in Paradise”© CarnivalCIBC “The Connors”© CIBC
    Vans · Confused.com · Carnival · CIBC

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  • Diet Coke "Drink What Your Mama Gave Ya" (2021) commercial still© Diet CokeDiet Coke “Drink What Your Mama Gave Ya” 2021Dir. Los Perez · Anomalyshots Awards Gold 2021
  • Crown Royal Apple Whiskey "Crown Royal Apple" (2020) commercial still© Crown Royal Apple WhiskeyCrown Royal Apple Whiskey “Crown Royal Apple” 2020Dir. Golden Wolf · AnomalyAICP Awards Winner 2020
  • Rimowa "Adwoa" (2019) commercial still© RimowaRimowa “Adwoa” 2019Dir. Jonas Lindstroem · AnomalyBritish Arrows Gold 2019

Award-winning health & pharma commercials

  • Novartis "Relax Your Tight End" (2026) commercial still© NovartisNovartis “Relax Your Tight End” 2026Dir. Eric Wareheim · FallonClio Awards Grand Prix 2026
  • Psp "Birds Never Forget To Fly" (2025) commercial still© PspPsp “Birds Never Forget To Fly” 2025Dir. Giorgi Okmelashvili · PlaymakersADC Europe Grand Prix 2025
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  • Biogen "Friedreich and I" (2026) commercial still© BiogenBiogen “Friedreich and I” 2026Dir. Pablo Arreba · VML Health SpainADC Awards Gold 2026
  • Kaiser Permanente "Moving All To One" (2026) commercial still© Kaiser PermanenteKaiser Permanente “Moving All To One” 2026Dir. The Sacred Egg · Droga5shots Awards Gold 2026
  • Healthline "For All I Know" (2026) commercial still© HealthlineHealthline “For All I Know” 2026Dir. Sam SabawiiWebby Awards 2026

Questions

Who directed the Cancer Research UK “Cancer Is Happening Right Now, RIGHT NOW” commercial?

Henry Singer directed it, for the agency Anomaly.

Which agency made Cancer Research UK “Cancer Is Happening Right Now, RIGHT NOW”?

Anomaly created it for Cancer Research UK (2016).

What awards did Cancer Research UK “Cancer Is Happening Right Now, RIGHT NOW” win?

3 awards, including British Arrows 2016 Silver — Charity, British Arrows 2016 Bronze — Best Over 90 Second Cinema Commercial and British Arrows 2016 Bronze — Integrated.

What is the tagline of Cancer Research UK “Cancer Is Happening Right Now, RIGHT NOW”?

“CANCER IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. RESEARCH IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. LET'S BEAT CANCER SOONER.”

Sources for the credits and awards

britisharrows.com