Can you see through someone else's eyes?

What does it mean to see the world through someone else’s eyes?

And what if those eyes were vision impaired?

In a world that seems to be devoid of empathy, the ability to understand what others are going through appears to be a lost art.

Vision Australia challenges that with their new campaign; The Pupil Project. The campaign includes a series of videos showing what life is like for Australians living with low vision.

Why was this campaign so important?

It follows research conducted by the company, that revealed two in three Australians don’t know how to help someone with low vision. Those people also struggle to even identify a person with vision impairment.

Vision Australia national brand marketing manager Kirsty Richards said people with low vision commonly face misconceptions. This is often because their condition may not be visible.

According to the Vision Australia website, “Stigma and a lack of understanding can be barriers to inclusion.” They go onto introduce The Pupil Project, which is meant to “help more Australians see the world through the eyes of someone with low vision.”

So how did Vision Australia bring empathy into the equation?

The Pupil Project’s 5-part video series shows 5 real-life scenarios that people in the low vision community often find themselves facing. These range from finding use-by dates to ordering from a menu and even missing social cues.

Not only does this campaign raise awareness about the real challenges people with low vision face. It also shares ways others can be more inclusive and understanding.

One of the people featured in the campaign is Braedan, a former paralympic swimmer with Cone Rod Dystrophy. Others include Andy, who has been living with Retinitis Pigmentosa since she was 14 years old, and Benj, who's been living with Albinism since birth.

Seeing the unique point of view of each of them helps the message hit home in a way that many campaigns fail to do.

So what can we learn from this unique campaign?

These videos were especially effective because they use real data, real humans, and real actionable advice. This campaign is a great example of how we can evoke empathy and real action by showing our audiences a different perspective.

Often, we as marketers get fixated on presenting our take on things. However, this may not always be applicable en masse.

Shifting our viewpoint serves as a bridge for deeper communication. And this allows our audience to understand our messaging at a whole new level.

-Sophie, Pop Culture Queen