Vabysmo’s animated short captures a mother’s vision loss from the POV of her child

Vabysmo, a product of biotechnology company Genentech, is a medical treatment for macular degeneration linked to aging—an eye disease that the company cites as the leading cause of vision loss among the elderly. The “A Beautiful Sight” campaign was tasked with serving as a brand reminder and a Mother’s Day tribute; it was launched the month prior in April on various digital platforms and the brand’s website. The two-minute animated short film is shot from the perspective of a son (from infancy to adulthood) and documents his mother’s gradual vision loss in tandem with events that shape his life. The story is meant to educate audiences across the vision-loss community, including patients, caregivers and doctors—all of whom are represented in the creative, playing multiple roles. The film notes that 95% of surveyed retina specialists would use Vabysmo to treat a loved one’s vision and is inspired by true stories of doctors who have. “A Beautiful Sight” depicts the passage of time with the help of facial-mapping technology and era-specific props for the background aesthetic. The campaign, created in partnership with WPP agency Grey Health NY, won bronze for Branded Entertainment/Content Campaign of the Year among suppliers/vendors/pharmaceutical companies in the Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards 2024. Grey Health reported that 74% of patients who recalled the film could attribute the content to Vabysmo, while promotion aimed at patients and caregivers on Reddit and Nextdoor showed campaign engagement at 218% and 140% above benchmark, respectively. The campaign results also revealed increased metrics in ad recall on Meta platforms across all targeted audiences, according to the agency.

Vabysmo’s animated short captures a mother’s vision loss from the POV of her child

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