Primedia Outdoor keenly seeks opportunities to assist communities and worthy projects. Recently, the wholly South African owned outdoor advertising media owner provided assistance to The South African Guide-dogs Association for the Blind (SAGA) for its National “Hello” Campaign. The campaign includes a poignant 30-second TV commercial of a striking image of an eight-week-old Labrador puppy complimented by the Lionel Ritchie song “Hello”.
To raise public awareness and support of this highly emotional campaign, Primedia Outdoor donated unsold inventory space to this commendable non-profit Association in support of its worthy cause. Primedia Outdoor’s involvement and contribution to the initiative was invaluable, as the outdoor giant, not only utilised its multimedia platforms including Airport Plasma Screens and seven billboards to generate awareness, but also extended its participation to press and digital cinemas. Tied to the entire campaign was the establishment of a R10 SMS donation facility that has created the largest National campaign ever flighted by SAGA. The message tells people to sms “guide” to 38051 and help a blind person with the gift of a sighted companion.

Established in 1953 by Gladys Evans and her guide-dog, Sheena, the South African Guide-dogs Association for the Blind is funded by, and relies entirely, on public donations.

Bringing the guide dogs into ‘productivity’ is a long and expensive process. It begins with puppies being bred from selected breeding stock free from hereditary diseases, at seven weeks, the puppies are placed in private homes to begin their Puppywalking. Volunteers adopt pups for 12 – 14 months and are responsible for their socialisation. After the Puppywalking scheme they begin a six-month intense training programme and eventually presented to a blind person. The recipients receive three weeks training at the SAGA Centre before graduating with their dogs. The entry level for training a guide-dog starts at about R7 500, an expensive exercise for people in dire need, making support of SAGA essential.

“Primedia Outdoor believes in assisting the community in which we operate and we recognised that SAGA needed help creating public awareness to raise funding. We helped with an extensive advertising campaign educating the public of the worsening plight of blind people in South Africa,” comments Primedia Outdoor Marketing Manager, Dashni Naidu.

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