Octobre Rose and Movember 2026 awareness among French adults, Digi Mart USA News (France): Pink ribbons appear across France each October, and in November the focus shifts to moustaches. Octobre Rose and Movember follow one another on the calendar and share the same goal: raising awareness of cancer prevention.
However, according to a YouGov survey conducted October 21 and 22, 2026 among 1,002 French adults, the two campaigns are far from equally recognized.
Ninety-one percent of French adults know the Octobre Rose campaign, a level stable compared with last year (90%), and nearly three in four (73%) say they could explain it. As in 2025, women are slightly more likely to know it (95%, compared with 87% of men).
Many go further: 59% of French adults have already done, or plan to do, something this year. Simple gestures dominate.
Thirty percent talk about it with people around them, compared with 34% last year, while 28% wear pink or the ribbon, up from 25% last year. Other actions include posting a message of support on social networks (19%, compared with 20% in 2025), donating to an association (17%), or taking part in a charity sporting event such as a race (15%).
Women are at the forefront: 66% of them take part, compared with 51% of men. Four in ten men (40%) plan nothing.
The youngest adults are also the most involved: 74% of those aged 18 to 24 intend to act, and nearly half (48%) talk about it with loved ones. Among those aged 55 to 64, the figure falls to 48%.
Movember is dedicated to men’s health. Throughout November, men are invited to grow a moustache to raise awareness of prostate and testicular cancers, as well as mental health.
Only 36% of French adults have heard of the campaign, slightly more than last year (34%), and one in five (20%) say they could truly explain what it is about. One change stands out: in 2025 the campaign was somewhat better known among men than women (38% versus 31%), but this year the gap has disappeared (36% versus 37%).
The main divide is generational. Nearly two-thirds of those aged 25 to 34 (63%) know Movember, compared with a quarter of those aged 55 to 64 (24%) and only 14% of people aged 65 and over.
Parents also know it better (53%, compared with 30% of people without children).
As for the moustache itself, it has not caught on: only 9% of men plan to grow one, down from 11% last year. As with Octobre Rose, the first reflex is to talk to loved ones (23%), followed by sharing the campaign on social networks (14%).
Overall, 37% of French adults plan to take at least one action for Movember, with men and women equal, as last year. Nearly half (47%) plan nothing.
Should brands take up these campaigns? For a large majority of French adults, yes.
Last year, 66% said it was important for a brand to get involved and communicate about such campaigns. This year, when the two are distinguished, expectations appear stronger for Octobre Rose (72%, including 38% who say “very important”) than for Movember (65%).
Very few see it as unimportant: 11% for Octobre Rose and 14% for Movember.
The gap between the two campaigns narrows on this point: only seven points, compared with 55 points on awareness. Although Movember is little known, nearly as many French adults believe brands have a role to play.
Some even see a further reason to act: the campaign lacks visibility, and men’s health remains a topic rarely discussed.
Supporters of brand involvement often cite the same reasons. Brands reach large audiences, can encourage screening, and have the resources to fund research.
Taking a stand also shows that a company cares about its customers’ health.
Skeptics, a minority, also have arguments: “it is not the role of brands,” health is the responsibility of public authorities and health professionals, and such campaigns sometimes look too much like marketing. Even among the most favorable, some want concrete action: money actually donated, and commitment that does not end on the last day of the month.
From one year to the next, the landscape changes little. Octobre Rose remains an event nearly everyone knows, driven mainly by women and younger people.
Movember is still searching for its audience: its awareness is barely rising (36%, compared with 34% in 2025) and remains concentrated among people under 45. The one real change is that women now know it as well as men do.
For brands, there is a real opportunity. They are expected to engage with Octobre Rose, but Movember may be where they can make the greatest difference, as the campaign greatly needs to become known.
This requires genuine action rather than simply turning a logo pink or adding a moustache.
Survey details: YouGov Surveys conducted the study from October 21 to 22, 2026, among 1,002 people representative of the French national population aged 18 and over. Surveys were conducted online using the YouGov France proprietary panel.
Comparisons with 2025 rely on a study conducted October 21 to 22, 2025, among 1,026 people and are provided for indicative purposes.
