Crack a Smile for Fridley Billboard?

If you see a rude close-up of someone's butt on a billboard in Fridley—well, that's pretty much the point. 

According to a news release from the Minnesota Department of Health, it's all about preventing colon cancer: 

“We are trying to use humor to deliver a vital message, which is that a colonoscopy can save your life,” Friedenberg said. 

MDH put up the first round of billboards in the Twin Cities in March 2013, and is now posting them around the state. So far the campaign has received a few complaints, but it has also been complimented for its ability to get commuters talking.  

“It can be an awkward conversation so we’re trying to give people a lighthearted message to encourage discussion with their friends, family, and eventually a call to their doctor to schedule a test,” Friedenberg said.

MDH has received only a handful of complaints about the content of the ads, which have been seen millions of times by Minnesotans. “We’ve had success with these sorts of approaches in the past. So, though we don’t want to cross that line, we’re not afraid to step right up to it,” she said.

The American Cancer Society estimates 2,220 Minnesotans will be diagnosed with colon cancer this year and 770 Minnesotans will die from the disease. Most of these deaths could be prevented with regular screening. Unlike many tests that screen for cancer and other diseases, screening for colon cancer can, in many cases, prevent the disease altogether.