This Startling Cancer Charity Ad Proves That Reality Is Sadder Than Fiction

There are so many charitable causes to give to, with so many volunteers vouching for them, that it can be easy to develop a shell of apathy. Even passionate donors grow accustomed to giving at a benefit and feeling that they have done their part until the next event.

This ad from Peru shows a man telling people around the city about a woman with cancer who changed his life. We know this sounds saccharine, but stick with it. It's worth it:

The reveal shows that millions of people around the world willingly hand over money to experience sappy, unrealistic stories about cancer at the movies, but too often they prefer to keep their wallets closed when asked to donate to actual cancer victims in their own country.

Y&R produced the ad for the Peruvian League Against Cancer, which has a big annual fundraiser but had few donations during the rest of the year.

"We needed a campaign that worked at any time of year, all year, made directly to the League's bank accounts," copywriter Andre Toledo told Business Insider in an email.

The text on the card at the end of the ad is in Spanish when it runs in Peru. The English was shot for the purpose of promoting the agency's work in English-speaking countries.

Toledo said that "The Real Life" campaign has been a notable success on television and social media since it premiered in September. Donations to the League are up 46 percent this quarter from 2013, according to the agency.

There are two other commercials in the campaign, for the characters Jackie and Uxbal.