advertising, Canada, disability

Canadian Tire’s Hoop Dreams

When something goes viral it seems like everyone on the internet knows about it overnight, but sometimes going viral takes a little more time. This Canadian Tire TV commercial titled Wheels first aired during the Rio Olympics back in the summer and only recently has been taking social media by storm with more than 138 million views at the time of this posting. Continue reading

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advertising, Employment, talent recruitment

Terrible, Mediocre & Not Great Describe Advertising & Disability

Terrible, mediocre and not great are words no creative director wants to hear in response to their big idea, and these are also words no CEO, HR manager or any other ad industry executive or employee should be comfortable with when people with disabilities describe an agency working environment. But that’s just what happened in recently shared findings from and industry employment survey conducted by the American Association of Advertising Agencies. For employees with disabilities 17 percent of those surveyed agree the industry is terrible at providing equal opportunities to people with disabilities (compared to white males), and 29 percent felt it’s not great and 28 percent said it’s mediocre.

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advertising, Amputee Advertising, disability

How amputees became the disabled darlings of Madison Avenue

Recently Campaign Live, an advertising industry media outlet, published several articles tied to increasing visibility of advertising and disability. Journalist I-Hsien Sherwood wrote groundbreaking editorial tied to advertising and disability. Prior to this article, whenever advertising and disability was covered by major industry media outlets like Adweek or AdAge, typically the focus of the story centered around one ad and the person or persons with a disability featured therein. Sherwood takes a more global perspective and posits the reasons for the rise in amputees being featured in advertising. In the article I was able to share commentary on the current state of disability in advertising. Continue reading

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advertising, Automotive Advertising, disability, Jaguar, Wheelchair

Advertising & Disability at a Crossroads: Stop typecasting and using us as props.

I love everything about Jaguar cars and I’m a big fan of Stephen Hawking, but the combination of the two in the British auto brand’s latest advertisement left me a bit disappointed. The plot line pulls in James Bond themes with actor Tom Hiddleston, portraying a secret agent and driving the Jaguar F-PACE. The luxury car maneuvers effortlessly across roadways through cinematic vistas to arrive at a futuristic mountain hideaway where Hiddleston meets Stephen Hawking. Watch the commercial before reading any further and come to your own conclusions on what type of character Hawking is supposed to be. Continue reading

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advertising, disability, Honey Maid

Getting MORE Wholesome with Disability, Diversity and Acceptance

Food styling, features and benefits and an amazing taste profile are all must haves in the consumer packaged goods category. But for brands to truly shine and create lasting connections with customers, the brand’s own employees, store owners and families everywhere, Honey Maid, among others, realizes that advertising can be powerful and go beyond category must haves to community hope. Continue reading

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advertising, Disability Visibility Project

Disabilty Story Sharing Can Be A Part of Advertising Storytelling

Alice Wong recognizes the need for disability visibility in advertising and beyond. She is a strong presence in the disability community whether at the White House meeting with President Obama or on social media with her always visible, passionate and unique spin on topics. Not only is Alice a storyteller herself, but she is a conduit for people with disabilities and their own storytelling through the Disability Visibility Project. Continue reading

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advertising

We Can Change Attitudes With Disability In Advertising

My industry gets alot of flack, and some of it is well deserved. Picture that annoying ad or jingle that gets stuck in your head from used car dealers. But some of the most powerful and connective advertising goes beyond a product’s features and benefits to brands recognizing, incorporating and advocating for societal shifts. Many advertisers are now weaving people with disabilities into brand narratives.

Do these advertising images that use people with disabilities help change attitudes? This was the central question of a talk held at the University of Texas, Arlington, by disability studies and media scholar Dr. Beth Haller. Continue reading

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