Background
Hong Kong is home to one of the most beautiful skylines in the world. It's a famous sight seen by millions every year.
This year, Samsung wanted to help even more people see―especially the 200,000 people who are visually impaired.
idea
#BeTheirEyes is an idea that translates social photos into printed braille—to help more people see, one snap at a time. Since the Hong Kong skyline is one of the most photographed sights in the city, we simply asked people to share their Instagram shots using the hashtag #BeTheirEyes—with a short description of what they see. Then together with Hong Kong Blind Union, we translated these descriptions into printed braille stickers. And placed them back in situ to the visual stories being told—creating unique touchpoints all over Hong Kong, specially tailored for visually impaired people to feel, explore and experience. So for the first time, everyone could see what we see.
Strategy
Our strategy was to use mobile and social technology to help the blind community appreciate the remarkable beauty of their home city. People are already taking pictures, writing captions and sharing them on social media. So we invited the public to contribute by simply doing what they’re already doing. The only additional thing they had to do was add the hashtag #BeTheirEyes. The low barrier to entry (i.e. snapping a photo and writing a description) made it easy for citizens to get involved, while the social media aspect (i.e. tagging the pictures with #BeTheirEyes) generated greater awareness.
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Execution
To reach out to the public, we promoted the campaign with everything from press ads and posters to radio spots and even location-based SMS push notifications. We also invited local celebrities—including movie star, Louis Koo—to help us spread the word. A giant call-to-action was also placed on Samsung’s iconic LED signage in Wan Chai—the biggest LED signage in Hong Kong—so that people on both sides of the harbour could be reached for maximum awareness.
Results
#BeTheirEyes has been hailed by the visually impaired community as a breakthrough initiative to help everyone see what we see. On the first day of launch, over 1,000 people took part in the campaign directly and interacted with the braille stickers at one touchpoint alone. Special tours were also arranged for visually impaired schools, with over 300 students coming to visit in the first few days. Braille stickers started at just four touchpoints—but through demand, were quickly extended to over a dozen touchpoints across Hong Kong. Best of all: since 80% of all visual impairment can be treated, Samsung has pledged to donate $10 for every photo posted. So it’s more than just an idea, but a vision for the long term.
