What Is Breast Cancer Pinkwashing?

Pinkwashing is a type of cause marketing — which is a partnership between for-profit businesses and charitable groups — that uses the pink breast cancer awareness ribbon to promote their goods or services. 

Breast Cancer Action, a nonprofit with a mission to “achieve health justice for all people at risk of and living with breast cancer,” coined the term, and they began combating pinkwashing through their Think Before You Pink campaign. 

However, not every pink ribbon marketing campaign is “pinkwashed.” Karuna Jaggar, then executive director of Breast Cancer Action, explained to The Breastcancer.org Podcast in 2019: “Pinkwashing is not simply pink ribbon promotions, of which there are many; it’s specifically the hypocrisy of companies telling us how much they care about breast cancer while their product or service might increase risk of the disease.”

Pinkwashing is sometimes used to refer to campaigns that use the rainbow to feign compassion toward the LGBTQ+ community in order to distract from their harmful practices. This is also called rainbow marketing. 

Pinkwashing campaigns may lead well-meaning consumers to believe they’re helping solve a problem when they’re actually purchasing products that contribute to that problem.

For example, in 2003, Revlon partnered with the National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC) on a campaign that included pink ribbons on cosmetics containing long-chain parabens and DMDM hydantoin (a chemical that releases formaldehyde). These chemicals are known to increase the risk of some cancers. The company has since removed them from their products.

Another example was a partnership between Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and Susan G. Komen for the Cure for a campaign they called “Buckets for the Cure” in 2010. For every bucket of chicken sold, KFC donated 50 cents to Komen for the Cure. Breast Cancer Action drew attention to this campaign at the time, pointing out the contradiction of promoting a menu with few healthy options to raise money for breast cancer. Being overweight or obese is known to increase the risk of breast cancer.

“Low-income neighborhoods are underserved by grocery stores with healthier options,” stated Breast Cancer Action during its “What the Cluck” campaign. “Faced with a lack of options, these already vulnerable communities are prey to large companies like KFC that offer the least amount of nutrition for the most profit.” 

Pinkwashing campaigns may also give consumers a false sense that the products they are purchasing are healthier than the alternatives. In 2024, researchers published a study in the journal Addictive Behaviors that found pinkwashed beer ads led people to view the beer as healthier than when they looked at ads for the same product without the pinkwashing.

When you first come across an advertisement that touts donations to a breast cancer charity, it’s helpful to ask some questions to determine whether or not it’s worth making a purchase.

First, look into the products the company sells. Do they contain ingredients linked to cancer risk? If so, it’s definitely an instance of pinkwashing. Sometimes, this is more obvious — for example, beer or wine (research shows that alcohol increases the risk of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer for people assigned female at birth). 

Then, check out the charity the company is donating to. Does the charity have a good rating on Charity Navigator? Is it clear where the money goes? 

Next, how much of each purchase (or overall profits for the duration of the campaign) will go to the charity? Is there a cap on the donations, and has it been met already? There may even be cases of companies spending more on pinkwashed campaigns than they actually donate.

It’s also helpful to look into the ethics of the company overall. Is it accredited by the Better Business Bureau? What does The Good Shopping Guide say about them?

Instead of purchasing products from companies that give a fraction of profits from the sale to breast cancer charities, consider donating directly to the nonprofits doing the work to offer support and provide services that help lighten the load for people affected by the disease. 

There are plenty of other ways to show your support for people with breast cancer, too:

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  Join or start a fundraiser

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  Volunteer for organizations like the American Cancer Society

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  Talk to your friends and family about the importance of regular breast cancer screening