A long-standing Christmas Eve tradition, Vision Australia’s Carols by Candlelight at Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl supports children who are blind or have low vision, and their families, to live the life they choose.
Historically, the main focus of the fundraiser has been campaigns driving traffic to traditional donation portals and building awareness towards the physical event during the December holiday period. In 2021, with the uncertainty of Covid restrictions and a shift in donor strategy, Vision Australia wanted to create an experience that allowed donors to better connect with the campaign virtually.
Working closely with Vision Australia’s marketing agency integrity, Luminary developed a concept of community and togetherness by utilising the flame from the brand mark of Carols by Candlelight.
The site was launched in mid-November, featuring a 3D animated candle made up of floating stars. Each star represents either a story or a donation. The stories detail the experiences of Vision Australia’s young clients, while the donations list the names of donors and their messages of support.
The digital campaign finished in early January 2022. The final on-site donation figures were $815,349 raised by 8021 donors. The balance between an immersive creative experience and accessible functionality meant the site reached AA compliance. The site also achieved a score of 98 out of 100 in Lighthouse, an open-source tool that rates accessibility.
