The number of people with poor vision is increasing rapidly across the globe. Sight loss has nearly doubled in recent decades, growing from around 560 million in 1990 to over 1.1 billion today. As we work, educate and entertain ourselves through screens and spend less time outdoors, cases of myopia are escalating and are set to count for half the world in 2050.

The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) tasked 89up with launching the #LoveYourEyes campaign for World Sight Day 2021 to encourage people from around the world to pledge to have an eye check.

89up created a series of news stories and developed key partnerships with tech platforms to share the campaign. We showed how covid restrictions have made the problem of eye health worse by increasing screen time and reducing time outdoors and also caused people to miss sight tests.

A partnership with the Association for UK Interactive Entertainment (UKIE), a non-profit trade association for the video game industry in the UK whose members include Microsoft, Esports, and Nintendo encouraged gamers to think about their eye health. In addition, we created social content that shared advice on how to maintain healthy eyes.

Working in conjunction with IAPB, 89up developed a picture story based on images of people having their eyes checked in front of global landmarks including the Great Pyramids in Egypt and Tower Bridge in London.

89up secured nearly 350 pieces of coverage around the world including Mail Online, the Guardian Nigeria, Evening Standard, HELLO! Magazine and MSN Australia.