Orbis

A story of holidays, nostalgia and first times

Brief

Develop a positive, heart-warming summer campaign to drive donations among warm and cold audiences

Challenge

We needed to develop an idea that appealed to two demographics – Orbis supporters, who skew older and are more receptive to complex information about ophthalmology, and a new, broader audience, who are younger, family-oriented and fans of Saturday night television.

We also had to create a strong fundraising call-to-action via an urgent need that nonetheless focused on positive outcomes rather than sad, heart-wrenching situations.

Solution

‘First times’, a campaign that combined summer holidays, nostalgia and children. We asked supporters if they remembered their – or their children’s – first time on a plane and compared their emotions with children’s first visits to the unique Orbis Flying Eye Hospital – the shared sense of excitement, trepidation and hope.

We took the visual language of holiday plane travel, including tickets, postcards, luggage and holiday snaps, to tell a story of saving sight around the world and pioneering eye care technology – not forgetting Seymour, the Orbis bear that supports every child through their surgery.

For new audiences, this was a digital-first campaign, and we developed a microsite and social assets. While for existing audiences, we created a full direct mail pack, complete with postcard from 1982, when Orbis began its journey.