Wunderman UK has today launched a new campaign to try to raise awareness of a rare but aggressive and deadly eye cancer that affects babies and toddlers, retinoblastoma, in support of its pro-bono charity of choice The Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT).
The new campaign, called ‘Look Sharp’, uses the power of social influencers to raise awareness of the disease. Some 70% of cases result in one or both eyes being removed if the cancer is not detected early enough and the campaign will run during Retinoblastoma Week, which starts today (May 8).
Retinoblastoma can be identified in many ways, but simplest of all, it can often be seen in a child’s eye in a photo taken with a flash. The new campaign acts as a rallying cry for parents; placing the power into their hands by educating them on the disease and how to look for it not just in their own children, but on any child in a photo on their social feed.
To support ‘Look Sharp’, Wunderman UK has lined up a host of influencers, who will upload blurry images to their Instagram feeds that will look like they are loading, but actually reveal a message over the blur stating ‘Kids can’t see eye cancer, but you can.’
The blurred image will then load to reveal a picture of a young child affected by retinoblastoma, revealing a key sign and symptom of the horrific disease – a glowing white eye taken with a flash photograph. The copy will then encourage parents to #LookSharpForRb on social media, pushing the message that ‘checking eyes saves lives’.
In addition to the influencer campaign, Wunderman UK has created a suite of digital assets, which will be distributed across Chect’s owned channels. Vision Express is also pushing out the message to #LookSharpForRb with an in-store competition asking customers and passers-by to snap a poster that recreates the white glow of Rb. Snappers will be invited to share their image with the hashtag on social media. A series of random winners will be identified throughout the week and given free eyewear frames.
CHECT cheif executive Patrick Tonks said: “The new #LookSharpForRb campaign encourages parents to pay close attention to every baby picture they scroll past. As a disease with a history of being spotted in photographs, the more parents that look sharp, the more eyes and lives can be saved.”
Wunderman UK managing director Chris Daplyn, added: “CHECT is a charity that is close to the agency’s heart, and we’re proud to have supported the cause for a number of years. Losing an eye can be a devastating consequence for someone so young and helpless, and we hope this new campaign educates as many people possible about the symptoms of the disease and how you can spot it early.”
