Save the Boobies Controversy

A crop of breast cancer awareness PSAs are using D-cup cleavage to capture the attention of young women. One ad, which features a long-legged female flaunting her ample breasts in a bikini as onlookers ogle, contains the tagline, "You know you love them…it's time to save the boobs." Another PSA, called the "Yoplait Pledge," refers to the breasts as "cheechees," "hooters" and "tatas." Are these clever marketing strategies that deliver a life-saving point, or do they disrespect women's bodies? The answer depends on who you ask.

Even if the ads aren't successful in prompting women to schedule a check-up or look for lumps, the PSAs do seem to have scored a win in one regard: The ads have young women buzzing about the issue. Amy Landesman, 39, a training director for a non-profit in Manhattan, says the ads are perfect for reaching the under-40 crowd. "I do not find them offensive, and in fact, they're a refreshing change from some of the somber, scare tactic ads that are popular now," she says. "The PSAs are fun and playful, and they have a hip, Gap-like quality to them. If there is a controversy around these ads, I think that is a little silly."

The "Save the Boobs" PSA began as the video promo for an event to raise funds for Rethink Breast Cancer, a Toronto-based charity that supports cancer research and education. Veejay Aliyah Jasmine Sovani, co-host of Canada's "MTV Live," is the buxom brunette showcased in the ad. She is also the creative director of the spot -- one she invented just days after she learned that her cousin had been diagnosed with breast cancer. "Instead of making breast cancer awareness month about an old grandma getting a mammogram and making it clinical, I thought, 'let's be real with it,'" says Sovani in a behind-the-scenes clip about the ad's creation, "Let's make it very MTV, because the truth is that we all love boobs, so let's celebrate boobs and save the boobs."