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Global Ads Spotlight: In Peru, a new path forward for the visually impaired with SightWalks
Can a sidewalk teach the visually impaired not just where to walk - but where they’re going? Peruvian cement brands Cemento Sol and Unacem understood that ‘tactile paving’ could only help to a certain extent.
If the vertical lines are one, two and three, they denote a restaurant, bank and grocery store respectively, and this has been tested on them to gauge the benefits they are able to derive through this offering, which has benefited more than 500 people. (Snippets from the campaign)
For decades, city sidewalks have quietly spoken a language designed not for the many, but for the few. Tactile paving—those familiar raised lines and dots underfoot—serves as a crucial guide for the visually impaired, where lines often signal “go” and dots mean “stop.” But for those who rely on these cues, they offer only a partial map of the world around them.
In Peru, a country where approximately 1.1 million people—or 0.65 percent of the population—live with visual impairments, that challenge has long gone under-addressed. Now, a new campaign aims to change that.
Unveiled in 2024, SightWalks is a collaboration between cement manufacturers Cemento Sol and Unacem, and advertising agency Circus Grey Peru, part of the Grey Worldwide network. The initiative reimagines tactile paving as more than a basic mobility aid—it becomes a system of coded destinations.
Working in partnership with local organizations including UNCP, Cercil and Yo Soy Sus Ojos, the project redesigned sidewalks in Lima’s Miraflores district. The updated paving includes horizontal bars and a variable number of vertical lines - one, two, or three - to indicate nearby landmarks such as restaurants, banks, and grocery stores.
“This project is about more than guidance,” said a spokesperson from Circus Grey Peru. “It’s about giving people the confidence to move independently, and safely.”
The initiative, tested with over 500 participants, also includes educational workshops, audio instructions, and Braille brochures to ensure the new symbols are understood and usable. The campaign is open-source, intended for adoption by other cities around the world.
For its ingenuity and humanitarian focus, SightWalks received the Grand Prix in Design at the 2024 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity—one of the advertising world’s highest honors.
At its core, the campaign is a striking example of inclusive design meeting social impact, transforming what was once a flat piece of sidewalk into a message of mobility, autonomy, and dignity.
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