People see broken image links on a regular basis, and will instinctively click to download, without even registering the message. Only this time when they clicked ‘display images’, frustratingly, nothing happened. The image didn't 'display'.

It was an incomplete picture; a real experience of not being able to see the world as it's supposed to be seen. Readers didn't need to imagine what life was like when you couldn't see the whole picture, because they were, albeit briefly, experiencing it now.

By playing with the everyday annoyances of email, we were able to make a powerful point simply and provocatively.

As the first piece of work for RNIB by the entrant, it was cautiously tested after previous emails had failed to meet their objectives. Its primary objective was awareness, rather than donation.

The email achieved an open rate of 14% - considerably higher than a previous cold email that was part of an integrated campaign, with radio and digital advertising.

The click-through-rate was 22%. The average CTR for non-profit organisations is only 3.5%* (consistent with previous emails).

The email was heralded as an example of industry best practice at the Institute of Fundraising National Convention last year. *Mailchimp Dec 2010