Plano has released a campaign to highlight how excessive device usage can increase the risk of short-sightedness, which is also known as myopia.
The campaign, called #SeePastTheScreen, is created by IPG Mediabrands for the parental control app, as part of the Interpublic-owned agency’s corporate social responsibility activities.
The campaign wants to use the ‘square eyes’ parable, which refers to how one can go ‘squared-eye’ when watching too much television, to drive home the message that excessive device usage has been scientifically linked to myopia.
Singapore is known as ‘the myopia capital of the world’, as typically eight out of 10 children in Singapore suffer the affliction by the time, they leave school, according to Kelvin Eng, the chief marketing officer of Plano.
He adds that critically, the younger a child develops myopia, the higher the chance of them developing high myopia which can lead to irreversible blindness.
“Our network has been working with Plano in a CSR capacity since June last year, impressed by the innovative approach they have taken to flip this problem into a solution,” said Leigh Terry, the chief executive of IPG Mediabrands in the Asia Pacific.
“All of the key stakeholders in this campaign are pro-technology, it’s the misuse of technology that is causing a major issue. As an industry with digital at the heart, we recognise a responsibility to bring awareness to this. With #SeePastTheScreen we aim to help create a societal shift that will bring impactful change.”
Seven other Singapore publishers including MediaCorp, SPH, Clear Channel, JCD, MooveMedia, Adello, and Amobee have collectively donated more than SGD $700,000 ($518,402) of media inventory to support this campaign.
Campaign pre and post measurement were provided by Milieu, and all participating companies donated their time, resources and services pro-bono.
