A new campaign from the Canadian Retinoblastoma Society (CRBS)—its first-ever awareness effort—shows how life can change in a flash.
Retinoblastoma is a rare form of eye cancer that typically occurs in children between birth and five years old. The incidence of retinoblastoma is one in 15,000 live births, with about 23 children afflicted each year.
The print and online campaign by Thornhill, Ont.–based Tag Idea Revolution alerts parents to the fact that an everyday flash photo can indicate the possible presence of the disease. Similar to red eye, the pupils of afflicted children can appear white in a standard flash photo (the exception being some cellphone cameras like the LED flash with the iPhone 4).
The campaign creative features images of young children, one eye red and the other white, accompanied by the messages “Red eye, doctor the photo. White eye, see your doctor” and “A photo can save more than a memory. It can save your child’s life.”
The CRBS worked with the Canadian Imaging Trade Association, a national organization representing imaging and photo manufacturers, and public relations firm MSL Canada to bring the campaign to life. The campaign debuted last week and will run through mid-July.
“It’s something of a victory,” said CRBS president Peggy Gronsdahl. “It’s something we wanted to have happen for a long time, and it took a series of events to fall into place to make it a reality. We believe it has the potential to turn into an international campaign.”
