We officially wave goodbye to the hairiest month of the year, formerly known as November, this week. That's right, Movember is almost at an end. Over the last 30 days we've seen thousands of moustaches emerge from top lips - all in the aid of a great cause.

But in case you've been living under a follically-free rock for the last 19 years, here is some information on the global men's health foundation and the reasons behind its extremely popular moustache-growing campaign.

Men's health is in crisis. Men are dying on average 5 years earlier than women, and for largely preventable reasons.

A growing number of men - around 10.8 million globally - are facing life with a prostate cancer diagnosis. Globally, testicular cancer is the most common cancer among young men. And across the world, one man dies by suicide every minute of every day, with males accounting for 69% of all suicides.

Movember was launched to tackle these big health issues on a global scale by funding groundbreaking projects all over the world, engaging men where they are to understand what works best and accelerate change.

One of the keys to Movember's phenomenal success over the last 19 years (during which they have raised over $1 billion) is their understanding of how to engage some of the hardest-to-reach demographics - men aged 16-65.

Understanding how to build engagement with this audience has been vital and underpins its immense success. And the secret? Well, it really isn't really a secret at all.

It's more a case of being unafraid to challenge the status quo, take risks and trust in your purpose. It appeals to people's sense of fun, creating relevant content that drives home the message to those at risk and utilising relatable people in the public eye to create halo moments.

So with Movember about to end, we thought it would be fun to celebrate some of the most innovative Movember campaigns of the last 19 years.

5. "Be a Man of More Words"

Year: 2021

This ad campaign, released ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day in 2021, features suicide notes read out by the men who wrote them. It's an incredibly powerful watch, and brilliantly highlights the power of encouraging men to talk about their problems. The ad is challenging, unexpected and unafraid to shine a spotlight on the reality of the crisis, with real men talking about real issues.

4. "Half-Time - Six Nations"

Year: 2020

This powerful ad was broadcast throughout the Rugby Six Nations, helping to amplify its message. By using heroes of the game, it really hits home among its target audience.

3. "How to Grow a Moustache with Nick Offerman"

Year: 2012

This brilliant, engaging campaign uses a mo' icon to pass on key knowledge to those trying to grow their own.

2. "Whatever You Grow Will Save a Bro"

Year: 2019

Anyone can grow a mo. It doesn't matter how good it is. Everyone counts and has the power to save lives. That's the theme of this great campaign from 2019. The content is really relatable but also highly engaging, supporting the cause in a fun and aspirational way.

1. "David's Big Problem"

Year: 2012

The ultimate sign of success and influence is your community creating their own content to support the cause. And few have done this better than this video, which plays on the insecurities and excuses for not growing a mo.

What Adland can learn from the success of Movember - and gain by working with them

This provides somewhat of a holy grail to the ad industry, but also provides an opportunity to spread positive messages and empower people to take positive action around their own mental and physical health. Movember has done the hard work in creating engaging content and building a narrative. All the industry needs to do is to share the message and stand alongside its purpose.

Sometimes it can feel like a challenge to partner with another brand (or charity partner) to create cohesive and aligned messages.

That's one of the challenges Good-Loop exists to overcome, and our Watch to Donate format is perfectly placed to align brands and charities, while also delivering industry-leading engagement and uplift.

To find out more about our formats, click here.

Mo On.