March 25--Hoping to raise awareness about colorblindness, Valspar Paint and FCB Chicago have launched a website explaining the condition, which affects 300 million people worldwide. It also offers a solution: special glasses that have enabled people to see color for the first time.
The campaign includes a powerful four-minute video created by FCB, in which people with colorblindness tell their stories and then experience color for the first time with the glasses, which are made by California-based EnChroma. Their reactions to everything from a child's crayon drawing to a sunset put the simple act of seeing colors in a new light.
"As a company deeply rooted in color, Valspar believes that everyone deserves to see and appreciate the experience that color brings to life," Joel Wasserman, director of brand integration at Minneapolis-based Valspar, said in a statement. "Most people don't know what it's like to live in a muted world. We're dedicated to making a change for the better and igniting a conversation around the impact of color."
People with color blindness are unable to distinguish colors, particularly red and green. The glasses, which sell for $349 on the EnChroma website, employ high-tech optics to separate and enhance those colors.
The digital public service campaign, #ColorForAll, includes a website where people affected by colorblindness can share their stories. More than 100 people who share stories online will receive EnChroma glasses from Valspar. In addition, Valspar has provided glasses for visitors to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago.
rchannick@tribpub.com
