Scratch October 2020: Behind the cover
By Sophie Nutt | 04 October 2020 | Feature, Tech Talk
This month’s striking Scratch cover comes courtesy of the Let’s Nail Breast Cancer 2020, in aid of Future Dreams.
This year’s campaign is encouraging men to paint their nails pink and post on their social media channels using the hashtags #LNBCboys and #LNBC20 for awareness. As well as this, there’s a whole range of fundraising activities nail technicians and salons can get involved in – all of the information about this year’s Let’s Nail Breast Cancer campaign can be found here. 
For the campaign, a group of men that have been touched by breast cancer in a variety of ways were photographed posing with pink manicures to show support and solidarity for both Future Dreams and Let’s Nail Breast Cancer. Models included Love Island‘s Nathan Massey, The Apprentice‘s Thomas Skinner and television personality Calum Best – Scratch‘s October cover star.
“The models were chosen to represent a good cross section of the different ways in which men are touched by breast cancer,” explains session manicurist Robbie Tomkins. “We wanted a mix of ‘real’ men to get involved to give an honest and first-person account of how the disease has touched and affected them, their families and their loved ones.
“As with all new campaigns, we also wanted to have some well-known faces involved to help launch the new concept to the national media and really get the ball rolling. The idea I had in my head was to capture everyday men who just happens to have their nails painted pink. We didn’t want to have staged images with guys holding their hands up as that would look more like an advert.
“Our aim is to create an ongoing annual campaign similar to Movember, in that when you see a man with hot pink nails you automatically think: ‘Oh it’s October, he must be supporting Let’s Nail Breast Cancer’.”
“We chose a range of pink shades to accommodate every taste, although the hot pinks seemed to be the shade favoured by all of the guys on the photoshoot!” – Robbie Tomkins, session manicurist.
The photoshoot
The photoshoot took place earlier this year, before the Covid-19 lockdown, at a studio in London. Ready to set up, the ‘glam team’ arrived at 9am and the shoot ran from 10am – 6pm with the models arriving staggered throughout the day. The atmosphere of the day emulated that of the finished photographs; relaxed, fun and positive.
“We had a phenomenal team on the day who all worked so well together, it didn’t really feel like work,” adds Robbie. “So many people generously gave their time for free on this shoot so we want to give a big shout out to the following: legendary celebrity portrait photographer, Simon Emmett, who captured the images perfectly; our wonderful stylist Stevie B, assisted by Ruby Elkins, who made the gents look super dapper; and top make-up artist Brooke Simons, assisted by Georgie Rose, who groomed the gents to perfection.”
Robbie was the manicurist on set, armed with a range of pink shades to paint the nails of the models on set: “We chose a range of pink shades to accommodate every taste, although the hot pinks seemed to be the shade favoured by all of the guys on the photoshoot!”
The nail shades used on the photoshoot will be renamed for the campaign, and of which 100% profits from sales will go to Future Dreams. Calum wore Bio Sculpture Gemini Polish in Ipanema Sunset, Thomas opted for Jessica Custom Nail Colour in Raspberry, Nathan wore Artistic Colour Revolution in Bad Habit, Aaron sported Jessica Custom Nail Colour in Strawberry Shake It, Phil wore Bio Sculpture Gemini Polish in Jinkie Pink, and Adam donned Artistic Colour Revolution in Devil Wears Nada.
“All the lads had short neat nails and we opted for a straight-forward block colour manicure for maximum impact,” says Robbie. “That’s not to say that we don’t encourage men to get their nail art game on, too – we’re all very excited to see what men get up to this month!”
To donate, text LNBC followed by 5, 10 or 20 (to donate £5, £10 or £20) to 70500 or head to www.futuredreams.org.uk/nbc to make a donation of your choice. Clients can donate by placing a cash donation in a Future Dreams money box at participating salons. If you are a nail technician or salon and want to get involved, email jolie@futuredreams.org.uk who will be able to send you a free fundraising pack, which includes everything you need to get started.
View more of the finished photograph’s from the Let’s Nail Breast Cancer 2020 campaign shoot below.
