They are a promise and a challenge.

They say to consumers, "You probably don't know a T-cell from a T-square, but you can help cure breast cancer."

Indeed you can -- provided you eat the right candy, drink the right tea, wear the right jeans and test-drive the right luxury automobile.

Mars Inc., the maker of M&M's, is among an increasing number of U.S. companies trying to connect with consumers by appealing to their hearts instead of their heads and bellies.

Playing on powerful emotions such as guilt and compassion, manufacturers offer an appealing quid pro quo: If you buy a certain product, we will donate part of the proceeds to a worthy cause.

It's called cause-related marketing, and nobody does it better than the charitable souls who turned October into Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

"Cause-related marketing has absolutely exploded over the past couple of years," says Carrie Spector, communications coordinator for Breast Cancer Action, a San Francisco-based advocacy group.

October, a month defined by the riotous reds and golds of falling leaves, is gradually turning Pepto-Bismol pink, the color of the ribbons worn by breast-cancer survivors and their supporters.

The pinkwashing of America, as some have called it, is a direct result of the megabucks that corporations have committed to breast-cancer-related advertising in recent years.

Redbook, McCall's, Vogue -- even Teen Vogue -- have been bursting since August with full-page ads for breast-cancer-related charities. All of them encourage readers to "think pink" -- i.e., get a mammogram, perform a breast self-examination or buy a product that funds the fight against breast cancer.

Most ads feature a product tie-in. The Keebler Co.'s ad shows five wheat plants bent into the shape of a survivor's ribbon. On a pale pink background, the text implores readers to "create a little Elfin Magic" by clipping out the pink ribbon printed on the front of every box of Wheatables snack crackers.

Send in five ribbons and Keebler will donate $5 to breast-cancer research -- a transaction that requires the purchase of five boxes of Wheatables (about $2.89 each).

"It's a win-win situation, and everybody likes that," says Sharon Cecil, a breast-cancer survivor and executive director of Louisville, Ky.-based We Survive Inc., a support group and resource center for people facing adversity.

Keebler is one of at least 100 U.S. companies with national ad campaigns tied to Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The roster includes such major manufacturers as General Electric and Ford, along with a host of companies that market primarily to women: Avon, Estee Lauder, Saks Fifth Avenue, Ralph Lauren and Casual Corner, to name a few.

"We can't even count anymore the number of commercial enterprises that are donating money for breast cancer," says Barbara Brenner, executive director of Breast Cancer Action.

More is not necessarily better, Brenner says.

"We don't need more money for breast-cancer research," she says. "We need to get a handle on the research that's being done already."

Cecil wonders if cause- related marketing hasn't grown into too much of a good thing. Leslie Hawk doesn't believe that's possible.

"I don't think you ever get desensitized to cancer," says Hawk, communications and marketing specialist for the Louisville chapter of the American Cancer Society. "You or somebody you know will eventually come down with it.

"I think companies are wise to tap into cause-related marketing. What better advertising is there? Ford can do commercials all day long that say, 'Let's sell cars!' But when they do a breast-cancer commercial and it says, 'Brought to you by Ford,' that resonates in people's minds. It really does."

Few do cause-related marketing better -- or bigger -- than the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

The Dallas-based charity raised $139 million for research, treatment and education in 2002 alone. More than $30 million was derived from cause- related marketing, most of it from 46 corporate partners, 18 of which donated $1 million or more.

Is there a danger of oversaturating the market to the point where Americans grow sick of consuming for the cure?

"That's a good question," says Cindy Schneible, the Komen Foundation's vice president for cause marketing and sponsorship. "Based on the support for programs to date, we haven't seen any evidence that it's too much, but it is something that bears watching."

The blizzard of breast- cancer-related events and advertising belies the fact that the disease is the fifth-leading cause of death among women. According to the National Institutes of Health, in 2000, 366,000 women died of heart disease, 103,000 from stroke, 65,000 from lung cancer, 62,000 of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and 42,000 of breast cancer.

However, the low ranking of breast cancer is attributed partly to research advances and public-information campaigns funded by advocacy groups. In other words, because breast cancer is a popular cause, it's also a less fatal disease. The mortality rate has decreased 3.2 percent per year since 1997, according to the American Cancer Society.

Ginny Bradford, cancer control specialist for Kentucky African-Americans Against Cancer, says the ads are doing their job.

"They have definitely helped increase awareness," she says. "Women see it on TV, and they read about it in the magazines, and as a result, they are more responsive when we are out in the community doing programs like the mobile mammography unit."

Experts say the real reason that breast cancer is such a cause celebre is its pervasive-ness. The American Cancer Society projects 211,300 new diagnoses this year. That's 579 cases a day.

"These are issues we struggle with all the time," cancer society spokesman David Sampson says. "How do you take the passion and empowerment that people feel about breast cancer and apply it to other cancers, like prostate and colorectal, that will need the same sort of energy and resources to beat?"

Helping hand

A sample of products tied to various breast-cancer charities:

- Avon: Black nylon umbrella with a border of pink ribbons.

- Deluxe Corp.: Checks and matching leather checkbook with pink ribbon and the Komen Foundation cameo logo.

- Estee Lauder: Elizabeth Pink lipstick, named for company spokeswoman Elizabeth Hurley.

- Lilly Pulitzer: Limited-edition, flower-and-butterfly print scarf in pink and green silk.

- L'Occitane: Room spray that blends rose, pepper, roseberry and vanilla.

- New Balance: Sneakers with an embroidered pink ribbon and a warm-up jacket in white, black and pink, also with an embroidered ribbon.

- Pier 1 Imports: Pastel pink Komen Candle in a frosted glass jar; comes with a pink ribbon lapel pin.

Survivors' support

- What: Young Survival Coalition, a group organized for women 40 and younger diagnosed with breast cancer.

- Where: A South Sound chapter of the national organization is forming now. Meeting times and locations will be announced later.

- For more information: Contact Sarah Richardson, YSC regional coordinator, at 206-725-4350 or sarah_richardson@juno.com.