Michael Klim and Brad Hodge’s quirky double act for skin cancer campaign

Michael Klim and Brad Hodge have teamed up to raise awareness about a major health risk for Aussie men. See the video.

Exclusive: Two of Australia’s best known sporting greats swimmer Michael Klim and cricketer Brad Hodge have teamed up to become the fall guys in a quirky new skin cancer prevention video.

On the way to a mates’ barbecue the pair are the victims of a pushy Sun Safety Attendant who tries to change their outfits, toss hats on their heads and even invade their personal space to apply sunscreen to their faces.

Inspired by an airline safety demonstration, the Cancer Council’s social media ads remind men of the simple steps they need to take to reduce their risk of developing skin cancer.

Cancer Council CEO Professor Tanya Buchanan said Australian men are almost twice as likely as women to die from melanoma.

Michael Klim and Brad Hodge are reminding men of the simple steps they need to take to reduce their risk of developing skin cancer. Picture: Tim Hunter

However new Cancer Council research reveals that less than half (45 per cent) of Australian men include sun protection as part of their daily routine.

Only one in five men apply sunscreen daily compared to two in five women.

And, men were more likely than women to have recently been sunburnt at an outdoor swimming pool or sporting facility.

“Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world, which is something that we shouldn’t be proud of. We’ve got a lot of things that we should be proud of, but that’s not one of them,” said Klim.

The Olympic medallist used to spend more than four hours a day training in outdoor swimming pools and said the main problem was men were “a little bit negligent and probably a little bit lazy” when it came to being sun smart.

Swimming legend Michael Klim says men “are probably a little bit lazy” when it comes to sunscreen and hats.

Klim said the airline steward in the ad was “like having the good voice in the back of your head reminding you to do the right thing.

“People will comment about my bad acting, hopefully the message gets through anyway.”

Klim, who ran a men’s skincare company for more than a decade, said using a moisturiser with sun protection was now part of his regular routine.

Men needed to make sure they kept a tube of sunscreen and a hat in the car or in the glove box, he said.

Brad Hodge said it was his cricket idol Dean Jones that inspired him to act on sun safety.

“Dean Jones used to traditionally wear the zinc on the on the lips. I put zinc cream on my lips just because I wanted to be someone like Dean Jones,” he said.

Sunscreen, broad brimmed hats and sunglasses were provided routinely when Hodge played cricket for Australia.

Brad Hodge says he became complacent about sun protection after leaving the professional sports stage. Picture: Getty Image

However, when he left the professional sports stage he struggled to remember to be sun smart.

“When you get away from the professional sporting scene where everything’s provided for you, you become actually quite lazy and not very proactive in your own space around your own home,” he said.

The ads are part of a $10 million national skin cancer campaign funded by the Federal Government.

“We’re asking all Australians, but in particular men aged over 40, to think of sun safety every time they head outdoors. It’s great that some of our sporting heroes want to help us spread those important messages.” Health Minister Mark Butler said.

“By taking a quirky and a slightly humorous approach, we’re hoping that you know, people will pay attention but also get the message that this is quite a serious thing,” Professor Buchanan said.

Originally published as Michael Klim and Brad Hodge’s quirky double act for skin cancer campaign