Project Overview
As part of the ‘Too Much Information’ campaign by our sister company Don’t Panic, we developed the name, identity and campaign to get people with autism, portrayed accurately in film. When something’s missing the whole picture changes, so we created a brand that literally cut out vital parts of the story.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Mark Whiteway - Managing Director
Paul Howard - Head of Production
Matt Partis - Creative Director
Carmel Conway - Creative
Tom Loader - Copywriter
Helen Jackson - Account Director
Angela Kwashie - Account Manager
Josh Channon - Account Executive
Project Brief
When was the last time you saw a film or TV show that featured an autistic person? Not for a while, we bet. And when you did, they were most likely misrepresented through inaccurate editing, non-autistic actors/actresses playing the role, and storylines with misleading and poorly researched scenarios. So it’s hardly surprising that 99% of people have heard of autism, but so few actually understand it.
So we launched Autism Uncut, a film and media competition that asked student, amateur, and professional filmmakers to create true representations of autism.
We asked entrants to take the overarching campaign concept of too much information and show us what it meant for them. Whether it was the daily challenges autistic people face, the discrimination they encounter, or their personal triumphs and victories, we were looking for bold, innovative films under four minutes that would challenge an audience’s preconceptions of autism.
We also created event collateral that withheld key information, encouraging the audience to dig deeper and find out what the real message was. Recipients had to scratch off foiling on invitations to reveal information about the awards ceremony, and with a few words obscured here and there, the programme recast judges as fridge-chuckers, Baywatch stars and Spice Girls members.
Project Innovation/Need
An authentic representation of autism is missing in film and media due to inaccurate editing, non-autistic actors, and misleading storylines. Similarly, a film doesn’t give the whole story either if a line doesn’t make the cut.
We created social media posts and printed ads that turned famous film quotes on their head, with the familiar message obscured because a key line of text was taken away. These promoted the competition in an upbeat and engaging manner, cleverly highlighting our message and encouraging our audience to enter.
The event collateral took away more information than it told, to show that when something’s missing, the whole story changes. Recipients scratch off foiling to reveal information about the awards ceremony on invitations, and with a few simple edits, the programme recast judges as fridge-chuckers, baywatch stars, and Spice Girls members.
From beginning to star-studded ending, we built the campaign to create and celebrate authentic autistic representation, changing the way we see autism – and this is just the beginning. The whole campaign was such a success that the competition and awards ceremony will now run every two years, potentially in partnership with numerous organisations that reached out based on the success of the initial campaign.
Design Challenge
Similar to most we too didn’t know the ins and outs of what it’s like to live with autism day to day. Aware of how inaccurate the media have portrayed autism we needed to ensure we didn’t rely on stereotypes and further add to the misrepresentation. It was vital we communicated autism precisely and authentically.
By creating a campaign that deliberately obscured our message, we ran the risk of confusing audiences. But this bold move reaped rewards, earning 87 entries to the competition and a packed awards evening. By visually representing the issue we were working to highlight in an innovative way, we were also able to attract the attention of new audiences, particularly those in the creative fields, as demonstrated at our star-studded awards ceremony, the culmination of nearly a year-long campaign.
The competition and campaign were a huge success, with each entry highlighting the filmmakers’ personal understanding of ‘Too Much Information’. To top it all off, an awards ceremony full of glitz and glamour was held at BAFTA, ending a campaign that provided a much needed step forward in helping people understand autism, the person, and what do do.
Effectiveness
One key measure of effectiveness was how autism-friendly and representative the campaign was. The competition and awards ceremony put the spotlight on a dialogue between the autistic community and the creative sector, and conversations at the awards ceremony were centered around autism, and how people could make an impact.
We also looked to social media – the prominent film and media outlets covering the event, the significant engagement on social posts about it, and #AutismUncut trending on the night of the event were all signs of success.
Finally, the inroads we made within the creative sector were a huge measurement of effectiveness. Particularly significant were the number of potential partnership requests we had from organisations such as BFI and prominent BAFTA members to assist with future Autism Uncut events.
Graphic Design - Identity and Branding
This award celebrates creative and innovative design in the traditional or digital visual representation of ideas and messages. Consideration given to clarity of communication and the matching information style to audience.
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