Movember: previously known as… November. For those who have no idea what this is all about, here is a short description of the phenomenon: Movember is an international foundation organizing an annual, month-long celebration of the moustache to highlight men’s health issues such as prostate cancer and depression. Basically, the foundation asks for volunteers to grow a mo (for moustache) in November so their friends can donate to show them their support.

Movember was founded by a group of friends in Melbourne, Australia back in 2003. They recognized that men were lacking a way to engage and actively involve themselves in their own health. Since 2003, Movember has continued to grow each year, both in terms of participation numbers and funds raised. It has also expanded to other countries including New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, the US, the UK, Ireland and some other European countries.

We will all agree to say that Movember is truly great viral marketing. Each person growing a mo at this time of the year effectively becomes a walking billboard for men’s health. They help the foundation raise awareness and funds. To date, the event has raised tens of millions of dollars globally.

Movember is very popular in countries like Australia where you can see men starting to let their mo grow as soon as late October! And yes, that’s a form of cheating! If you’re into rugby, you’ve maybe seen some Scottish and Australian players proudly wearing their mo during this fall’s test series, like Matt Giteau (on the left).

If you’ve never had a mo before, and wear one for a whole month, all your friends will ask you about it. No doubt. And here is a great opportunity for you to raise awareness on men’s health issues… and the Movember Foundation! I think that’s a brilliant idea, and I’m really glad to see it’s going international. If you wish to donate to the foundation, you can sponsor a friend of mine’s mo. Only one week to go!