# Sightsavers launches river blindness campaign

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2007/12/10/sightsavers-launches-river-blindness-campaign/
- Published: 2007-12-10T10:42:09+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**Sightsavers International has launched an integrated direct marketing and PR campaign
focusing on its work to prevent river blindness in Africa.**

The creative approach to the campaign was developed by Burnett Works and centres
around the preventative treatment, Mectizan, which is supplied free of charge to
Sightsavers by manufacturer Merck & Co.

“We invited Burnett Works to come up with a creative treatment which could be used
across a range of communications media and which allowed for different messages 
to be developed for donor recruitment and development,” explained Maxine Angel of
Sightsavers International.

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“The bold, typographical approach is striking and the copy aims to make people think
about the fact that river blindness can so easily be prevented.”

To date the creative treatment has been applied to a donor recruitment insert and
door drop, a reactivation pack for lapsed donors and upgrade packs which aim to 
convert existing donors to regular giving. In addition, the creative outline has
been used to develop press advertisements and an outdoor poster campaign.

Response data coming in for the reactivation pack, which was the first to be sent
out, indicate a response rate of over 4.6%, with the financial target already met
within two weeks.
ENDS

Notes to editors

Sightsavers International works to combat blindness in developing countries, restoring
sight through specialist treatment and eye care. The charity also supports people
who are irreversibly blind by providing education, counselling and training to those
living in poverty in some of the world’s poorest countries. Further information 
is available at www.sightsavers.org

Burnett Works is a full service marketing and communications agency working exclusively
in the not-for-profit sector. Its managing director is Jackie Fowler and current
clients include Cancer Research UK, Friends of the Earth, UNHCR, Plan UK and The
Camphill Family.

For further media information and additional images:
Gillian EganBurnett WorksTelephone:
020 7841 3076

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