Easterseals is a credible non-profit organization that offers individualized services for children and adults with autism, developmental disabilities, and other special needs. Their purpose is to change the way the world defines and views disability by making profound, positive differences in people’s lives every day.
Despite the brand’s legacy and the incredible suite of resources it offers, many people today are unaware of what Easterseals does or have an outdated perception. Further, the general population is uncomfortable with talking about disability, communicating with people with disability, and deeply understanding the disability community.
The challenge was to raise awareness of people living with disabilities (25% of the U.S. population) and remind people that Easterseals continues to be a space for exploration, expression, and advancement for people with disabilities.
The primary objective was to celebrate Disability Pride by challenging and dismantling harmful stereotypes surrounding disability. At every stage of development, from concept to completion, people with disabilities drove the campaign's direction.
We aimed to shift perceptions and biases of disability by creating a hyper-relevant Disability Pride campaign across multiple channels to drive brand awareness, elevate the disabled community, educate the broader market, and drive behavior change.
We aimed to shift perceptions and biases of disability by creating a hyper-relevant Disability Pride campaign to drive brand awareness, elevate the disabled community, educate the broader market, and drive behavior change.
We often fear what we don’t understand, and conversations around disability are avoided. We whisper it or avoid it altogether as if disability is a dirty word.
Using the voices and insights of people with disabilities to ensure authenticity, credibility, and resonance, we created a vibrant multimedia campaign that boldly declares that 'Disability is NOT a Dirty Word.' Say it. Share it. Celebrate It.
By showcasing the diverse and vibrant lives of disabled individuals, the campaign celebrates disability as a source of pride and integral to human diversity. It also reminds people that Easterseals continues to be a safe space for exploration, expression, and advancement for people with disabilities.
We brought the idea to life through a multimedia campaign For, By and About people with disabilities to reach a broad audience via TV, OOH, digital, interactive quizzes, influencer partnerships, and more. All creative was delivered in English and Spanish and all video elements were Closed Captioned, ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) compliant.
BROADCAST:
Generated greater awareness for Easterseals with a presence on high-visibility national cable TV networks including CNN, MSNBC, Food Network, HGTV, Hallmark, and CBS. The campaign expanded nationally and was featured during the 2024 Paralympics coverage on NBC and its streaming platforms.
ONLINE:
Designed and built a brand-new microsite with interactive tools and a call to action to ‘Say it. Celebrate it. Share it' because disability is not a dirty word. The website includes a quiz, developed with a disability activist, that educates users about respectful terminology, ableism, and allyship, promoting greater understanding and empathy. The site also includes personal stories of people with disabilities and Disability Pride merchandise.
SOCIAL:
11 disability influencers posted compelling content on social media during Disability Pride month. In addition, ESSC posted social content with notable shares from actress & activist Holly Robinson Peete, and Assemblymembers Chris Holden and Josh Lowenthal
The campaign has raised brand awareness and positively shifted public perception of disabilities, achieving over 525 million media impressions across multiple channels. It boosted ad recall and aided awareness for Easterseals among various demographics. Viewers found the campaign more differentiating (+17) and clever (+10), with its empowering approach proving as or more effective in driving donations than sadness-based appeals, enhancing fundraising potential.
Key stats include:
- 71k microsite visits, 87k page views, 600 quiz completions, 300 merch items sold
- Social media: 400k impressions, 200k reach, 5.5m engagement
- 11 influencers generated 1.6M+ video views, 43k+ engagements, 6% engagement rate
