HOMESOY rallies allies to turn breast cancer awareness into action

HOMESOY is rallying partners, families, friends and communities to push more women towards breast cancer screening, as it enters the third year of its “Stop that dot together” campaign.

Moving beyond awareness, this year's edition centres on collective action, with the brand extending the campaign's reach beyond women to give everyone a role in encouraging early detection.

At the heart of the push is a social experiment video which highlights the everyday barriers women face when considering screening, and how encouragement from loved ones can inspire them to act.

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In the video, participants were given a small “dot” to hold and asked to guess what it is. Some said 'tangyuan' (‘glutinous rice balls’) or a modelling clay Play-Doh. They reacted in surprise as the producer behind the camera revealed that, “A dot can be detected before it becomes a physical lump.” 

Beyond the video, HOMESOY is pledging financial support to the National Cancer Society of Malaysia (NCSM) for nationwide screening programmes, and to Cancer Research Malaysia (CRMY) to fund research tailored to Malaysian women.

It is also partnering with NCSM and over 40 medical centres nationwide, including Sunway Medical Centre, Subang Jaya Medical Centre, Prince Court Medical Centre, and participating KPJ and Columbia Asia hospitals. Women who undergo breast cancer screening at participating locations will receive a complimentary pack of HOMESOY 3.0 Soya Milk, with the giveaway worth RM100,000 in total.

The campaign event also featured a live demonstration using the "Know your lemons" tactile kit. The 12-lemon visual model teaches women to spot subtle signs beyond lumps, such as skin dimpling, nipple changes or textural shifts.

Fatin Aina binti Zulkhairi Amin, science communicator at Cancer Research Malaysia, said such tools build body awareness, "giving women the confidence to speak to a doctor the moment something feels different".

Chang Wan Ping, marketing director of Ace Canning Corporation, which makes HOMESOY, said the campaign has grown into a community-led movement. "By standing together, we hope to empower more women to prioritise their breast health with confidence, support and without fear," she said.

The campaign also tackles misconceptions around soya. Soo Sek Yow, head of nutrition unit at Ace Canning, said soya does not cause breast cancer and that current science suggests higher consumption may even be protective. She explained that isoflavones, the plant compounds in soya, do not turn into human oestrogen in the body.

With October being Breast Cancer Awareness month, brands are gearing up to play their part and do more than turn things pink. Beyond Malaysia, The Park Lane Hong Kong launched a pink afternoon tea with proceeds going to the Hong Kong Hereditary Breast Cancer Family Registry, while Millennium Hotels and Resorts is turning its Singapore lobbies into spaces for conversation with Breast Cancer Foundation Singapore. 

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