The Campaign

Dyslexic children are often labeled unintelligent because they have trouble reading and writing. The Dyslexia Association of Malaysia came to us with a challenge: raise awareness for dyslexia and change the negative mindset of parents and teachers. This campaign was birthed out of a need to address dyslexia not as a disability but as an opportunity to uncover hidden talents. We wanted to let people know that having dyslexia doesn’t mean that your child is doomed for failure. In fact, we believe that beneath every dyslexic child is a potential waiting to be uncovered. We worked with Vince Low, a professional artist and dyslexic. Through his work, he became both the message and the messenger in our campaign. Vince experimented with various styles of illustrations before settling upon chaotic scribbles to create his portraits. This form of method in the midst of madness represented dyslexia so aptly. As we rolled out the campaign on-ground and online, the response all over the world was beyond our imagination. In just one month, Vince’s work and story was covered by blogs and websites across the globe. Even news portals such as The Daily Mail UK and Huffington Post US and France editions picked up on it. Vince’s portfolio on Behance.com received over 100,000 views and 12,000 appreciations. His Facebook friends have also grown close to 4000! What started as a local awareness campaign about dyslexia became one with a global audience because of Vince.

The Brief

The campaign was largely targeted to parents and schoolteachers. We wanted them to know that dyslexia was no hindrance to the success of their children. To prove that point, we did our research and found that many world-renowned icons were in fact dyslexic. We chose to feature Lennon, Picasso and Einstein because of their prominence even in today’s world. Although they could not read or write as well as their peers, they succeeded in their respective fields, much like Vince himself. By showcasing famous dyslexics by a dyslexic, we hope to change perceptions and even inspire those with dyslexia.

Results

In just one month, there were close to 1000 mentions on sites and blogs. These include those from within the country and also overseas. When news portals such as The Daily Mail UK and Huffington Post covered the story, even more people became aware of it and shared it on their Facebook and Twitter accounts. In total, there were 178,600 impressions made on social media and close to 20,000 shares of Vince’s work. Vince’s portfolio on Behance.com escalated to over 100,000 views and 12,000 appreciations since his portraits went viral. People wanted to get to know him and as a result, his Facebook profile now boasts close to 4,000 friends! Many were surprised he was dyslexic and those who were dyslexics themselves praised him for putting light on the subject. To this day, Vince continues to gain more fans and friends from all over the world.

Execution

The first portraits drawn by Vince featured dyslexic icons who were world-renowned achievers, namely Lennon, Picasso and Einstein. These were simply made into posters and placed at schools, tuition centres and clinics. We also ran the posters in several print publications and billboards in the city. At the same time, Facebook and Twitter played a huge part in helping us spread the word. As inspired art lovers and dyslexics around the world began sharing these images, blogs and websites picked up on his story. Vince created more portraits of celebrities and garnered more attention to his cause. People saw his talent and begin commenting and sharing his work on their own. Our initial plan of a local awareness campaign turned international through the power of social media and of course, Vince himself.

The Situation

Dyslexia affects approximately 10% of school-going children. However not many people recognise it or give their dyslexic children the attention they need. When a child has problems reading and writing, they automatically think he is lazy or unintelligent. The Dyslexia Association of Malaysia (DAM) was having a difficult time convincing parents and teachers otherwise. Hence, they wanted to raise awareness for dyslexia and turn a negative impression into a positive one filled with hope. As an artist and dyslexic himself, we knew that Vince Low was the perfect person to demonstrate how dyslexia could not affect a child’s potential.

The Strategy

We started out by having Vince draw portraits of dyslexic icons. As his drawings began to receive recognition, he was able to move away from them and draw attention to himself. The portraits no longer just illustrated the celebrities but became his identity as an artist. Vince could draw just about anyone without being drowned by the celebrities themselves. This made it easier to widen the scope of the campaign and extend it beyond Malaysia. The fact that he was dyslexic also made it interesting, as most were not even aware of such a term. Vince had the opportunity to close that gap through his art and inspire many at the same time.