Ahead of the Black Friday sales period, Guide Dogs NSW/ACT has collaborated with Keep Left on a campaign titled 'Blackout Friday', which aims to raise awareness about the challenges faced by individuals with low vision or blindness when shopping online.

The Blackout Friday pop-up invites shoppers to browse curated, pre-loved items from fashion marketplace Uturn. However, each item is hidden, and only limited written descriptions are provided. The campaign is designed to encourage retail brands to offer more inclusive online product descriptions to remove barriers for people with blindness and low vision.

"Blackout Friday is more than a pop-up shop; it’s a disability awareness experience that gets people thinking about the barriers in online shopping for consumers who are low vision or blind. Many e-commerce brands aren’t aware of small changes that would make a significant difference to the community. We have found a way to clearly explain the issue with actionable steps to create real change," said Chief Marketing Officer, Guide Dogs NSW/ACT, Michael Apte.

The integrated campaign action, from concept to design, was produced by Keep Left. This included the shop fit-out, out-of-home, social creative, web design, partnerships management, earned media, and influencer engagement.

"The retail frenzy that is Black Friday provided the perfect backdrop for us to co-opt this day and create an immersive, earned creative experience in Blackout Friday. While our store may be the only one in Australia actively promoting products consumers won’t be able to see, thousands of other e-commerce stores across the country will be doing this unawares. We hope this activation sparks conversation among consumers and retailers to ultimately create a more accessible and inclusive world for people with blindness and low vision. While we can't fix every website this year, we can raise awareness, so businesses are inspired to prioritise accessibility and stop leaving millions of consumers in the dark," said Executive Creative Director, Keep Left, Blair Kimber.

E-commerce brands can download free 'website guidelines' from Guide Dogs NSW/ACT to make their stores easier to navigate for all. This campaign is a reminder of the importance of inclusivity in online retail, particularly as the sector continues to grow. By taking steps to improve accessibility, brands can ensure they are not excluding potential customers and are providing a better shopping experience for all.