SEE THE PERSON

TitleSEE THE PERSON
BrandSCOPE
Product / ServiceDISABILITY AWARENESS
CategoryB04. Non-Corporate
EntrantLEO BURNETT Melbourne, AUSTRALIA
Entrant Company:LEO BURNETT Melbourne, AUSTRALIA
PR/Advertising Agency:LEO BURNETT Melbourne, AUSTRALIA

Credits

Name Company Position
Jason Williams Leo Burnett Executive Creative Director
Andrew Woodhead Leo Burnett Creative Group Head
Elle Bullen Leo Burnett Copywriter
James Orr Leo Burnett Art Director
Sally Cunningham Leo Burnett Account Manager

The Campaign

When people meet somebody with a disability, that’s often all they see. Scope wanted Australians to see the person and their abilities instead. We found an amazing band that were already living proof of our message. We developed a campaign to share them, and Scope’s message with the country. We did this by taking the approach of a music promoter, and launching a single.

The Brief

To achieve as much exposure for the band and for our message as possible we wanted to gain national radio airplay, on-air interviews and talkback conversation nationwide. We had a powerful single written and produced by the band, all we needed to do was get it into the hands of as many radio station producers as we could and convince them to listen to it. Once they did, we knew their perceptions would be changed and they would want others to experience the same process.

Results

Instead of making people feel guilty and sad like some charity ads do, we surprise and inspire them. As a result the idea continues to grow, each time the film clip airs, the single is played, the youtube video is watched and the band take to the stage, more and more people see ability, instead of disability.

Execution

We chose local Melbourne band Rudely Interrupted, in which five of the six members live with physical and intellectual disability, to become a living, breathing demonstration of this mantra. The musicians became our message, we acted as their promoter and began a campaign to share their amazing talent with the nation. We released a single, created a music video and launched a National tour. Every time they took the stage, Rudely Interrupted proved how capable people living with a disability really are.

The Situation

SCOPE is a not-for profit organisation whose mantra is ‘See the person, not the disability’. They believe that individuals living with disability posses the same talents, passions and abilities as everyone else. And they want the world see this too. Perceptions of disability are often hard to change. Scope knows from experience that the most powerful way to alter current perceptions is to show living-proof as a demonstration. Such a demonstration will always have an impact because it is real. We wanted to find a group of individuals with talents that would resonant with the widest demographic, talents that we could easily share with an entire nation.

The Strategy

When people encounter the band, they experience a perception change. They realise how capable people living with a disability really are. Once their mind has been opened, they want other people feel the same. To experience the same wow-worthy revelation they did. Instead of making people feel guilty and sad like some charity ads do, we surprise and inspire them. As a result the idea continues to grow, each time the film clip airs, the single is played, the youtube video is watched and the band take to the stage, more and more people see ability, instead of disability.