Guide Dogs has partnered with Beano to create a bespoke comic strip story called ‘BEANO Presents – A Buddy for Life’. The partnership hopes to raise awareness of children and young people with visual impairments as well as the services Guide Dogs offer to help people with sight loss have the confidence and support they need to live their lives to the fullest.
Alongside the bespoke comic strip, the collaboration sees the very first audio comic strip story created especially for people with visual impairments, making it fully accessible for everyone to enjoy.
The comic strip story sees Beano’s beloved character Erbert, announce his recent sight loss diagnosis to his friends for the very first time, after meeting a guide dog owner at the Bash Street School. The iconic characters subsequently take a trip to the Guide Dogs National Centre, to find out more about the support the charity provides to adults and children with sight loss.
To make it even more special, buddy dog owner Alex McQueen, aged 7, along with his buddy dog Chance and guide dog owner Hester Poole, aged 16, with her guide dog Pickle, have been ‘Beanofied’ and appear as their very own characters in the bespoke comic strip story pullout. Both Alex and Hester have been supported by Guide Dogs over the years so they can live actively and independently.
To support the partnership announcement, we captured heart-warming imagery of Alex with his older brother Ross, aged 9, and buddy dog Chance, which were released to media, along with a press release and the key comic strip story pullout.
The partnership announcement made headlines in the news with over 190 pieces, including Metro, BBC News, The Independent, Daily Express and Daily Mail.