A Household Brand’s Campaign Tells Stories of Autistic Teens

That commercial ran as a result of winning British broadcaster Channel 4’s annual Diversity in Advertising Award, which challenges advertisers to pitch diverse and inclusive campaigns and grants the winner $1.2 million in commercial airtime. 

“Me, My Autism & I” helped boost awareness of the autism gender gap by 11%, according to Havas. Tom King, a strategist at Havas London, said it also resonated with neurodiverse audiences. He recalled autistic people leaving voice messages at the agency’s reception and even taxi drivers mentioning the campaign. 

However, Vanish wanted to expand the effort to not only raise awareness of the issue, but also drive behavioral change. While the first year of the campaign established the significant role of clothing in autistic lives, year two is about showing “how we can all help,” King explained. 

The project focuses on areas of life where clothing restrictions, rules or expectations can affect autistic people: schools, sports, special events and the workplace. 

In addition to providing educational resources to the public, this year’s initiative also aims to “tell as many stories as possible,” said King. The media plan focuses not just on broadcast TV, but also on social media and “grassroots conversations,” he added. 

The girls in the films, Cozzie and Lani, also come from different backgrounds and have distinct concerns to emphasize the diverse breadth of experiences among autistic people. 

A gap in representation 

Vanish’s campaign is notable because “neurodiversity has for so long been underrepresented” in advertising and media, said Kate Pozzi, creative director at Havas London. Yet in the U.K., about 15% of the population (or one in seven people) is neurodivergent, according to various reports. 

Few marketers have attempted to address these audiences, many from “fear,” “paralysis” and a lack of understanding about their authentic experiences, King observed. 

“There’s progress, but nowhere near enough,” he noted. 

Vanish’s campaign has been successful in part because it relied on the community and partnered with experts, like Ambitious About Autism, to tell their stories, King observed. 

Most important, advertisers that want to represent neurodivergent communities should “elevate people’s stories and pass the mic to these individuals,” King added.