Sid the Seagull and the Slip Slop Slap campaign

Summary

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Witness History – "Sid the Seagull and the Slip Slop Slap Campaign"

Podcast: Witness History
Host: Jane Wilkinson
Guest: Professor David Hill (Cancer Council Victoria, formerly Anti Cancer Council of Victoria)
Date: June 23, 2026
Episode Length: ~9 minutes

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Episode Overview

This episode delves into the origins and legacy of the iconic Australian "Slip Slop Slap" sun safety campaign, launched in 1981, featuring Sid the Seagull—a cartoon mascot—and an unforgettable jingle. Host Jane Wilkinson interviews David Hill, a key figure from the campaign, as he recounts how one catchy tune and an animated seagull helped revolutionize Australian attitudes towards sun safety and became a model for global health promotion.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Australia’s Sun-Loving Culture: The Challenge (01:17 – 02:22)

• Australia faced soaring rates of melanoma—one of the world’s highest—due to a culture that valorized tanned, outdoor lifestyles.
  • David Hill: “We had a whole mythology about the importance of… being brown and it went with outdoor work and rigour. The bronzed Aussies…” (01:43)
  • Cultural attachment to sun exposure was a major hurdle for health advocates.

Early Awareness Efforts: Limited Reach (02:22 – 03:08)

• Initial awareness strategies were face-to-face: talks for local groups, schools, agricultural shows, and fairs.
  • David Hill: “You cannot reach everyone that way.” (02:52)
• Realization: a mass media approach was necessary for real impact.

The Spark of Creativity: Meeting Philip Adams (03:18 – 04:04)

• Philips Adams, a renowned broadcaster and advertising executive, offers to help develop a campaign.
  • Arrives “in a very noisy red sports car” (03:18)—a memorable first impression.
  • Recognizes campaign’s challenge: “It involves, unfortunately, confronting the iconic bronzed Aussie image.” (03:36)
• Adams goes away to brainstorm a creative solution.

Creation of Sid the Seagull & the Campaign Jingle (04:07 – 05:39)

• Adams returns with the concept: a dancing cartoon seagull named Sid.
  • David Hill: “It actually looks nothing like a seagull now. He’s yellow and blue, he’s got a long beak, he flaps around…” (04:13)
• High-profile collaborators—composer Peter Best and animator Alex Stitt—join, all working pro bono.
• Together, they create a jingle that’s simple and fun, with clear instructions.
  • Jane Wilkinson: “So tell me what you’re slipping on, what you’re slopping on, what you’re slapping on.” (01:09)
  • David Hill: “We slip on a shirt. Slop on a sunscreen and slap on a hat.” (01:13)

Notable Jingle Excerpt (00:46 & 04:58)

• Sid the Seagull (Jingle): “Slip, slop, slap. It sounds like a breeze when you say it like that. / Slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat.” (00:46, 05:35)

Launch and Immediate Impact (06:00 – 07:02)

• The commercial launches across Victoria media in summer 1981, with TV, radio, and in-person events using Sid.
  • David Hill: “We had, for no cost at all, almost commercial levels of reach for this campaign.” (06:16)
• Sid the Seagull camper van tours and events create excitement.
  • David Hill: “Thousands of kids… racing towards the van because they recognised the jingle and thought, oh, this would be fun.” (06:52)
  • Kids singing along—clear sign of cultural penetration.

Did it Work? Real Behavior Change (07:16 – 08:08)

• Studies measure success using observable data—photos at major tennis events show Australians increasingly wearing hats compared to other countries.
  • David Hill: “By that stage, our Australian tennis crowds were wearing hats in much greater numbers than they were at Wimbledon or in America or in France.” (07:40)

Long-term Results and Lasting Legacy (08:08 – 08:57)

• By 2026, new studies show the campaign halved the average number of moles (melanoma risk markers) on Australian children—a predictor of dramatically lower skin cancer risk.
  • ABC News Reporter: “the number of moles on children’s bodies in Australia have almost halved over a 25 year period…” (08:20)
  • David Hill: “That’s exactly where you’d expect the rates to fall first if you’re intervening on exposure to a carcinogen that operates throughout the person’s whole life.” (08:33)
• The campaign is adopted internationally (New Zealand, Denmark, USA), showing its broad appeal.

Reflections and Personal Impact (08:43 – 08:57)

• Jane Wilkinson: “You had an impact, you and Sid.”
• David Hill: “Oh, well, I’d hope so. And many, many other people in this country who’ve made skin cancer control a big part of their interests and jobs.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On culture:

  • “We had a whole mythology about the importance of… being brown and it went with outdoor work and rigour. The bronzed Aussies…” – David Hill (01:43)

• On the jingle’s power:

  • “The jingle is just so you can’t forget it. The kids recognised it as soon as they heard it coming out of our van.” – David Hill (01:02)

• On campaign creation:

  • “This brilliant trio then got together to create this singing commercial with the jingle.” – David Hill (04:52)

• On measuring impact:

  • “By that stage, our Australian tennis crowds were wearing hats in much greater numbers than they were at Wimbledon or in America or in France.” – David Hill (07:40)

• On long-term results:

  • “The number of moles on children’s bodies in Australia have almost halved over a 25 year period, with predictions that they now have a significant reduction in their melanoma risk as they age.” – ABC News Reporter (08:20)

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Memorable Segments with Timestamps

• Introduction and jingle: 00:46 – Iconic “Slip, slop, slap” song performed by Sid the Seagull.
• Children at events: 06:39–07:02 – Description of children running toward the Sid van and singing along.
• Study results through tennis crowds: 07:16–07:57 – How researchers measured campaign success via audience hats at the Australian Open.
• ABC News clip, legacy statistics: 08:08–08:43 – Modern data reveals the campaign’s profound effect on public health.

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Conclusion

The "Slip Slop Slap" campaign, conceived in an era when sunbathing symbolized vitality and national pride, succeeded by cleverly using humor, music, and a relatable mascot to shift public attitudes, especially among children. The formula not only permeated Australian culture but proved exportable, showing the enduring power of creative public health messaging. As David Hill reflects on his team’s accomplishment, contemporary data underscores the campaign’s vital role in saving lives and shaping healthier habits for generations.

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Transcript

[David Hill]

Foreign.

[Jane Wilkinson]

BBC World Service. And now, witness History with me, Jane Wilkinson. History told by the people who were there. If you've heard us before, feel free to skip on a few seconds, but if you haven't, then thanks for giving us a try. We're the podcast that brings history to life in just nine minutes through the eyes of one key witness and lots of truly amazing news archive. So if you enjoy it, please subscribe wherever you get. You'll be BBC podcasts. And now, this is a story of how, in 1981, Australia launched a fight against skin cancer with help from a yellow cartoon seagull and an irritatingly catchy jingle.

[Sid the Seagull (Jingle Voice)]

Slip, slop, slap. It sounds like a breeze when you say it like that. Slip, slop, slap in the sun this summer Slap, slip, slop, slap.

[David Hill]

The jingle is just so you can't forget it. The kids recognised it as soon as they heard it coming out of our van.

[Jane Wilkinson]

So tell me what you're slipping on, what you're slopping on, what you're slapping on.

[David Hill]

We slip on a shirt Slop on a sunscreen and slap on a hat.

[Jane Wilkinson]

Meet David Hill, who's working for what was then called the Anti Cancer Council of Victoria in the 1970s. The charity is trying to tackle the rising cases of skin cancer, particularly the most dangerous type of melanoma. But David's got a problem. Australians just love the sun on Australia's famous Bondi beach.

[Narrator/Additional Witness History Voice]

You can drink in the sun and

[Sid the Seagull (Jingle Voice)]

the sights all the year round.

[David Hill]

Australian's relationship with the sun really went back to our reverence for the outback, the outback bushman who was always outdoors and suntanned. We had a whole mythology about the importance of. Of being brown and it went with outdoor work and rigour. The bronzed Aussies, well, I think most

[Sid the Seagull (Jingle Voice)]

Australians like sunshine and, well, the more sunshine you can get on your bloody, all the better, so far as I'm concerned.

[David Hill]

So that was always going to be a major cultural barrier to get people to change their behaviour and somehow protect themselves more and spend less time in the sun.

[Jane Wilkinson]

Because decades before, sun scientists had proved a link. Too much exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays can damage skin cells and cause cancer. But David and the team have a plan to spread the warning. It involves a 16 millimeter projector, an exhibition stand and some flyers.

[David Hill]

The most effective way to influence a person is face to face. So we would give talks at Country Women's association groups, we would go to schools and maybe show a movie. We would go to agricultural shows, fairs and at leaf but the problem with that is, effective as it might be in communicating a message, it's a hopeless way to reach a whole population. You just do the arithmetic. You cannot reach everyone that way.

[Jane Wilkinson]

What they need is something bigger, bolder and a little more fun. But what? David is sitting in his office in Melbourne when the answer arrives.

[David Hill]

So there I was looking out and I could see this very noisy red sports car and I thought it was a Maserati. Shortly after that, the reception desk rings me up and says, oh, there's a gentleman here wants to talk about helping with our campaigns. Up came a gentleman called Philip Adams, who's in Australia, almost a household word, very distinguished broadcaster, who then started Duppy, one of the leading advertising agencies in the world. Stupid came and said, look, I want to help if I can. And we said, well, this is the new challenge is our skin cancer prevention. It involves, unfortunately, confronting the iconic bronzed Aussie image. He said, I'll think about that.

[Jane Wilkinson]

Philip heads back to work and has that think.

[David Hill]

Anyway, he came back, he said, here's a concept.

[Jane Wilkinson]

It's a cartoon seagull called Sid, who's wearing beach shorts and a wide smile.

[David Hill]

It actually looks nothing like a seagull now. He's yellow and blue, he's got a long beak, he flaps around. And I would say that he doesn't have the somewhat objectionable personality of live seagulls.

[Jane Wilkinson]

Sid is also dancing while putting on sun cream, a T shirt and a hat. It's the start of what becomes known as the Slip Slop, Slap campaign.

[David Hill]

And Philip said, I reckon I can get some top talent to collaborate on this.

[Jane Wilkinson]

Enter composer Peter Best and animator Alex Stitt, both well known in the ad industry. And like Philip, they're prepared to work for free.

[David Hill]

So this brilliant trio then got together to create this singing commercial with the jingle.

[Sid the Seagull (Jingle Voice)]

The sun shining down so desperate to brown but skin cancer isn't so hot. No, it's not. So if you take a run or work in the sun should you sizzle like a sausage?

[Jane Wilkinson]

Do you remember the jingle, David?

[David Hill]

Don't make me sing the whole jingle. It goes slip, slop, slap. It sounds like a breeze when you say like that. Slip, slop, slap. So it goes on how many verses? I don't know. Four or five verses. And it ends up, don't sizzle like a sausage. Slip, slop, slap.

[Sid the Seagull (Jingle Voice)]

Slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat.

[Jane Wilkinson]

That is brilliant. Why do you think it works?

[David Hill]

Oh, gosh. Look, the whole thing is very engaging. It's friendly but it also acknowledges that we're doing things we enjoy doing. You can still enjoy the beach, you can still enjoy your cricket and tennis, but you can do them more safely. We couldn't wait to get it out there.

[Jane Wilkinson]

In early 1981, the 60 second commercial is launched across TV and radio stations in the state of Victoria.

[David Hill]

We particularly wanted the ads on in the summer, the most relevant time, obviously, and it's pretty quiet commercial advertising on the broadcast media in the summer. And so they had more availability and we had, for no cost at all, almost commercial levels of reach for this campaign.

[Jane Wilkinson]

But most importantly, the message needs to get to the generation of children who are growing up in the sun. Volunteers are sent out with Sid the Siegel brochures, posters and stickers.

[David Hill]

They would go around to the beach resorts in Victoria with this big camper van and they'd turn on their music as they were coming to pull up near the beach. I remember I was present at one, I heard them coming with the jingle and then suddenly thousands of kids, it seemed, on their feet racing towards the van because they recognised the jingle and thought, oh, this would be fun.

[Jane Wilkinson]

Were they singing the song?

[David Hill]

They were singing it exactly.

[Jane Wilkinson]

So the jingle is definitely catchy. In fact, if it's not already stuck in your head, I'll eat my sun hat. But does it actually change people's behaviour?

[David Hill]

We did some interesting studies and one was based on Grand Slam tennis events. So you've got Wimbledon, the French Open, the American Open and the Australian Open. We went down to the stadiums and we took pictures of the crowd and you can't tell whether they were using a sunscreen, but you can certainly tell whether they're wearing a hat. And there were significant differences. By that stage, our Australian tennis crowds were wearing hats in much greater numbers than they were at Wimbledon or in America or in France. So we took heart from that data and there were a number of other studies to reassure ourselves that we were getting somewhere.

[Jane Wilkinson]

The slip slop, slap message spreads across Australia, but its real success only becomes obvious years later. Here's Australia's ABC News in March 2026.

[ABC News Reporter]

That, of course, is Sid the Bored short wearing seagull in the ads that started running all the way back in the 1980s. Well, it turns out those ads really worked because the number of moles on children's bodies in Australia have almost halved over a 25 year period, with predictions that they now have a significant reduction in their melanoma risk as they age. These are the results of a long running Australian study being released that's exactly

[David Hill]

where you'd expect the rates to fall first if you're intervening on exposure to a carcinogen that operates throughout the person's whole life.

[Jane Wilkinson]

You had an impact, you and Sid.

[David Hill]

Oh, well, I'd hope so. And many, many other people in this country who've made skin cancer control a big part of their interests and jobs.

[Jane Wilkinson]

Sid and the campaign were adopted in many other countries, including New Zealand, Denmark and the United States. Professor David Hill became head of the charity now called Cancer Council Victoria before retiring in 2011. He was speaking to me, Jane Wilkinson, for Witness History. And don't forget. And if you want more sunshiny tales from Witness History, look out for the world's first solar heated home, How Club Med Changed Holidays and the Day that the World Looked up. Then tell your friends and remember, hit subscribe wherever you get your BBC podcasts. Thanks loads and bye for now.

[Narrator/Additional Witness History Voice]

Imagine being here. Scientists have made the atomic bomb. The first one was dropped on a Japanese city this morning here. During the meeting, Mr. Mandela was informed of the government's decision regarding his release.

[Sid the Seagull (Jingle Voice)]

And here witnesses have spoken of a wall of water that swept coastlines in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand.

[Narrator/Additional Witness History Voice]

Hear from the people who were there.

[David Hill]

He heard me praying while he was shooting and he just stopped. He said, I'm not going to. I'm going to leave you here to tell the story. Knowing that you have a spy and that you're following a spy. It doesn't get any cooler than that.

[Narrator/Additional Witness History Voice]

Witness History brings you first hand accounts.

[Sid the Seagull (Jingle Voice)]

Merkel gets up and says, I'm going. And Tusk says, I'm locking the door. Nobody's leaving. You're reaching a compromise or you're not leaving this room.

[Narrator/Additional Witness History Voice]

Was it shopping carts that made you rich?

[Sid the Seagull (Jingle Voice)]

Well, they didn't make me poor.

[Narrator/Additional Witness History Voice]

Listen now, search for Witness History wherever you get your BBC podcasts.