If you’re reaching for a bottle of water during your grocery run this October, you might notice something a little different on the shelf.
For Cancer Awareness Month, SPAR has teamed up with Cancervive to launch a campaign that turns everyday shopping into a vital conversation about breast health.
One in 12: The Powerful Detail on Your Water Bottle
The campaign tackles a sobering statistic head-on: one in 12 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. To make this real for shoppers, SPAR changed one in every 12 caps on its 500ml Still Water bottles to pink.
Using provocative imagery, clever shadows, and the tagline "You noticed. That’s a start.", the campaign uses everyday packaging to spark conversations about a topic people often shy away from.
As Mpudi Maubane, Head of PR, Communications & Sponsorship at The SPAR Group, explains, the goal was to use a familiar product in an unexpected way to bring the conversation straight into daily life.
How You Can Support (Without Changing Your Shopping List)
Running from 1 to 31 October 2026 across participating SPAR stores, SPAR2U, and social media, the initiative goes beyond just looking good on a shelf:
Purchase-Linked Giving: Throughout October, every purchase of SPAR 500ml Still Water contributes directly towards Cancervive’s cancer awareness, education, and community support initiatives (regardless of whether your bottle cap is pink or blue!).
Survivor-Led Impact: Cancervive uses survivor-led education to help communities spot early changes, seek medical advice, and realize that nobody has to face cancer alone.
As Cancervive CEO and founder Marlene Nortje notes, bringing this message into everyday spaces helps people have conversations they might otherwise avoid.
So, next time you check out your local SPAR aisle or order via SPAR2U, grab a bottle, look out for that pink cap, and support a cause that hits close to home for so many Mzansi families!