MELBOURNE—A television commercial featuring the late Professor Fred Hollows, first run as a clip on YouTube, has been named the world's best not-for-profit TV advertisement for 2009.
The commercial for the Fred Hollows Foundation, which helps restore eyesight to thousands of people in developing countries, won the Gold Star award for non-profit video advertising at a ceremony in The Netherlands overnight.
The foundation's communications and community education manager Joe Boughton-Dent says Professor Hollows' message is as powerful today as it was when he died in 1993.
"Three out of four people who are blind don't have to be," Mr Boughton-Dent said.
"They can be helped with a simple operation, sometimes costing as little as $25."
The advertisement has been showing on Australian television since June and features archival footage of Professor Hollows, combined with stories of people from around the world who have had their sight restored by the foundation.
It started out as a YouTube clip and has been watched over 50,000 times.
"I think a lot of organisations are using the web as a testing ground for their campaigns now," said Mr Boughton-Dent.
"It doesn't cost anything and people can leave feedback, which helps you work out what is working."
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