Company: LLORENTE & CUENCA
Company Description: LLORENTE & CUENCA is the leading communication consultancy in Spain,Portugal and Latin America. Its 17 partners and 330 professionals provide strategic consultancy services to firms in all sectors operating in the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking world. It has 14 offices and also offers its services through affiliates in five countries.
Nomination Category: Product & Service Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best New Product or Service of the Year - Consumer Products

Nomination Title: Special Post-Surgery Swimwear

Describe for the judges the nominated product or service, including its features, functions, benefits, and performance to date (up to 525 words). Include in this section the date since the beginning of July last year on which the product or service was introduced to the marketplace:

Special Post-Surgery Swimwear is a swimwear line specially designed for women who have undergone a mastectomy due to breast cancer to see themselves as and feel beautiful by means of adapted, fashionable swimwear, at an affordable price, which provides security and comfort when moving and swimming.

Salud de la Mujer Dexeus and women’secret have taken a new step in their commitment to women, women’s health, and femininity thanks to this swimwear line, after the successful launch of the Special Post-Surgery Bras lingerie collection in 2012-2013.

The launch of both collections was part of the strategic plan designed by the LLORENTE & CUENCIA Healthcare team for its client, Salud de la Mujer Dexeus, in order to showcase the Centre and in particular its oncology unit and its commitment to female patients. Until then, only orthopaedics stores had sold bras and swimwear for women who had undergone a mastectomy in Spain, so this was a pioneering initiative that was quickly approved by the client and which was joined by women’secret.

Professionals specializing in oncology and mammary gynaecology and Salud de la Mujer Dexeus patients provided advice to women'secret designers and pattern-makers to create this swimwear collection and the company's previous lingerie collection, both for sale in women'secret stores and on the company website.

The Special Post-Surgery Swimwear collection has a range of models with modern, comfortable, and sexy designs. Breton stripes, must-have black, polka dots, and green appear in the 2014 summer collection, both in swimsuits and in bikinis, all of which have matching bottoms. All this at affordable prices, between €24.99 and €34.99 depending on the model. In addition, garments have been labelled with social and informative messages on the disease and its treatment:

• The waiting time before breast reconstruction can start may be up to two years depending on the treatment complementing the surgery (radiotherapy / chemotherapy).

• Chemotherapy and radiotherapy leave the skin dry and sensitive. So the skin must be heavily moisturized, and a bra in a soft and pleasant fabric must be used, with no seams, with wide rubber bands and with no labels chafing in the area.

• Surgery scars and skins areas that have been exposed to radiotherapy should not be exposed to the sun, and total-protection sunscreen should be used. Sea salt is very beneficial as it aids scar healing.

• Women’s main fear is losing their prostheses in the sea while swimming. This does not happen with this model, as it includes elastic pockets in both cups to hold the prosthesis and a higher neck.

The response from the patients who were involved in the design of the collection was unanimous: The Special Post-Surgery Swimwear enables them to forget their fears and enjoy the summer. “We all want to go back to normal after breast cancer, and many of us want and need to enjoy water sports or just to enjoy an afternoon with friends and family on the beach, feeling safe with adapted swimwear”, one of them said.

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Provide a brief biography of the person or persons who lead the team that developed the nominated new product or service (up to 125 words):

Georgina Rossell, Manager at LLORENTE & CUENCA's Barcelona Office, leads the Corporate Foundations and CSR Area. She holds a degree in Political Science by UAB, a Postgraduate degree in International Relations by the Katholique Universiteit of Leuven, a Master's degree in ESR by the University of Barcelona, and a Postgraduate degree in Business Management and Communications Management by the Instituto de Empresa. She has more than 10 years' experience developing Sustainability programs for La Caixa, Unilever, Amgen, Intermón Oxfam, Cruz Roja, Nike, DKV, Sanofi-Aventis, Grünenthal, Fundación Crèdit Andorrà, and Coca-Cola.