''Slip-Slop-Slap'' (originally ''Slip! Slop! Drop!'') is a

mnemonic A mnemonic device ( ), memory trick or memory device is any learning technique that aids information retention or retrieval in the human memory, often by associating the information with something that is easier to remember. It makes use of e ...

slogan A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a clan or a political, commercial, religious, or other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose, with the goal of persuading members of the public or a more defined target group ...

for reducing unhealthy sun exposure by ''slipping'' on a shirt or

rash guard A rash guard, also known as rash vest or rashie, is an athletic shirt made of spandex and nylon or polyester. The name rash guard reflects the fact that the shirt protects the wearer against rashes caused by abrasion, or by sunburn from extende ...

, ''slopping'' on

sunscreen Sunscreen, also known as sunblock, sun lotion or sun cream, is a photoprotection, photoprotective topical product for the Human skin, skin that helps protect against sunburn and prevent skin cancer. Sunscreens come as lotions, sprays, gels, fo ...

, and ''slapping'' on a

sun hat A sun hat (also known as the floppy hat, harvest hat or field hat International Hat Company. International Harvest Hat Company: A Brief History, 1917-1942 25th Anniversary Edition, St. Louis: International Hat Company, 1942, p. 3.) is any hat or h ...

. It was prominent in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

and

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

during the 1980s, originating as the

jingle A jingle is a short song or tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. Jingles are a form of sound branding. A jingle contains one or more hooks and meanings that explicitly promote the product or service being advertised, usually ...

in a televised

public service announcement A public service announcement (PSA) is a message in the public interest disseminated by the media without charge to raise public awareness and change behavior. Oftentimes these messages feature unsettling imagery, ideas or behaviors that are des ...

in which an

anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics to ...

mascot named Sid the Seagull would sing and dance to the phrase. The campaign, originally funded by public donations, was launched by

Cancer Council Victoria Cancer Council Victoria is a not-for-profit organisation which aims to reduce the impact of cancer in Victoria (Australia), Victoria. It is an independent body that advises various groups, including government, on cancer-related issues. Cance ...

in 1981 to combat high rates of

skin cancer in Australia Skin cancer in Australia kills over 2,000 people each year, with more than 750,000 diagnosed and treated. Australia, followed by New Zealand, have the highest skin cancer rates worldwide. This is attributed to Australia having a high percenta ...

, and achieved high nationwide

awareness In philosophy and psychology, awareness is the perception or knowledge of something. The concept is often synonymous with consciousness. However, one can be aware of something without being explicitly conscious of it, such as in the case of bli ...

over its original run. It was briefly and less successfully revived in 2010, with Sid the Seagull singing to a revised jingle "Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek and Slide", adding ''seeking''

shade Shade, Shades or Shading may refer to: * Shade (color), a mixture of a color with black (often generalized as any variety of a color) * Shade (shadow), the blocking of sunlight * Shades or sunglasses * Shading, a process used in art and graphic ...

and ''sliding'' on

wraparound sunglasses Sunglasses or sun glasses (informally called shades or sunnies; more names below) are a form of protective eyewear designed primarily to prevent bright sunlight and high-energy visible light from damaging or discomforting the eyes. They can s ...

to the advice. An alternate version known as "Slip, Slop, Slap and Wrap" was used in New Zealand, where the mascot was a

tiger prawn ''Penaeus monodon'', commonly known as the giant tiger prawn, Asian tiger shrimp, black tiger shrimp, and other names, is a marine crustacean that is widely reared for food. Taxonomy ''Penaeus monodon'' was species description, first described ...

named Tiger, voiced by Anthony Samuels from ''

What Now What Now may refer to: Albums * What, Now? (Peter Hammill album), ''What, Now?'' (Peter Hammill album), 2001 * What Now? (Kenny Wheeler album), ''What Now?'' (Kenny Wheeler album), 2005 * What Now (Sylvan Esso album), ''What Now'' (Sylvan Esso al ...

''. Some Canadian cities have also started their own Slip-Slop-Slap campaigns. In Britain, it was featured in a ''

BBC Breakfast ''BBC Breakfast'' is a British television breakfast news programme, produced by BBC News and broadcast on BBC One every morning from 6:00am. It is also broadcast on the UK feed of BBC News channel on weekends. The simulcast is presented live, ...

'' report on 27 June 2011. In November 2023, the ''

National Film and Sound Archive The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), known as ScreenSound Australia from 1999 to 2004, is Australia's audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting, and providing access to a national c ...

'' added the ''Slip! Slop! Slap! Jingle'' performed by Peter Best and Phillip Adams to the ''

Sounds of Australia The Sounds of Australia, formerly the National Registry of Recorded Sound, is the National Film & Sound Archive's selection of sound recordings deemed culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant and relevant for Australia. It was fo ...

'' register for songs of "cultural, historical and aesthetic significance and relevance".

Effect on cancer rates

Since this campaign was introduced along with advertisements and a

, the incidence of the two most common forms of skin cancer (

basal-cell carcinoma Basal-cell carcinoma (BCC), also known as basal-cell cancer, basalioma, or rodent ulcer, is the most common type of skin cancer. It often appears as a painless, raised area of skin, which may be shiny with small blood vessels running over it. ...

and

squamous cell carcinoma Squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC), also known as epidermoid carcinoma, comprises a number of different types of cancer that begin in squamous cells. These cells form on the surface of the skin, on the lining of hollow organs in the body, and on the ...

) in Australia has decreased. However, the incidence of

melanoma Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer; it develops from the melanin-producing cells known as melanocytes. It typically occurs in the skin, but may rarely occur in the mouth, intestines, or eye (uveal melanoma). In very rare case ...

, the most lethal form of skin cancer, has increased. However, statistical analysis from the Australian Government's ''

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) is Australia's national agency for information and statistics on Australia's health and welfare. Statistics and data developed by the AIHW are used extensively to inform discussion and policy ...

'' found this increased incidence risk is almost entirely in the older (over-60 years) population, who lived the majority of their lives before the importance of sun safety was widely known, whereas the rate of incidence of melanoma by age 30 has consistently dropped from its peak in 1997, having halved in the time to 2020. Meanwhile, risk of melanoma incidence by age 60 has remained stable since 2011. An epidemiological study published in 2002 concluded that skin cancer increases could not be associated with the use of sun creams, and recommended continued use of the current campaigns as a means to reduce melanoma risk. The experience of more than 25 years of skin cancer prevention in Australia shows broad-based multifaceted public education programs can improve a population's sun protective behaviors and reducing

sunburn Sunburn is a form of radiation burn that affects living tissue, such as skin, that results from an overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, usually from the Sun. Common symptoms in humans and other animals include red or reddish skin tha ...

, a short-term marker of skin cancer risk.Hill DJ, Dobbinson SJ, Makin J. Interventions to lower ultraviolet radiation exposure: Education, legislation and public policy. ASCO 2009 Education Book 2009: 526-531. Furthermore, declining skin cancer incidence in younger cohorts and economic assessment show skin cancer prevention programs are an eminently worthwhile investment.

References

External links

Slop, Slap, Seek, Slide
- Cancer Council (Australia)
Slop, Slap and Wrap
- SunSmart

{{Australian topics Australian television commercials 1980s television commercials Public service announcements Australian advertising slogans New Zealand advertising slogans 1981 quotations Australian slang Sun tanning Healthcare in Australia Health campaigns Mascots introduced in 1981 Male characters in advertising Fictional Australian people Bird mascots

Effect on cancer rates

See also

References

External links