Heartwarming Ad Enlists People With Down Syndrome To Answer Parent’s FAQ

A gorgeous new campaign from Canada has presented the most commonly Googled questions concerning Down Syndrome, but in an endearing twist has delivered the answers with the help of people with Down Syndrome.

The campaign for non-profit Canadian Down Syndrome Society was created by FCB Canada, and is called ‘Down Syndrome Answers’. It comprises some 40-odd videos that explore everything from reading and talking to riding bikes and life expectancy.

The videos aim to explain and clearly illustrate that people with Down syndrome can read, play sports, work, cook, drive and much more, even if some of these things take a bit longer for them to learn.

FCB crafted these spots largely for parents of unborn children diagnosed with the genetic anomaly, who will no doubt turn to the internet to learn more about the condition. In a clever addition, these videos will pop up whenever someone Googles those questions covered throughout the campaign.

This week is Canadian Down Syndrome Awareness Week, with one in 781 children born in Canada having Down Syndrome.

“The majority of prospective parents know very little about Down syndrome,” Kirk Crowther, national executive director at the Canadian Down Syndrome Society, told Adweek.

“Doctors do their best, and there are lots of websites offering the medical perspective, but they typically use very clinical terms that don’t capture the emotional and human side of the Down syndrome story. We wanted to change that with ‘Down Syndrome Answers.’ ”

Nancy Crimi-Lamanna, chief creative officer at FCB Canada, added, “When parents get a diagnosis, they always have questions even after speaking with their doctor. At that point, they inevitably turn to Google looking for answers.

“When we met with CDSS, we realized that people with Down syndrome are most qualified to provide those answers, but without a good search strategy, there’s no guarantee people will find them.”

Jeff Hilts, also chief creative officer at the agency, said, “Just by casting real people with Down syndrome, we start to dispel some misconceptions about the developmental disability. But what will really make this campaign effective is ensuring people find the videos first when they turn to Google looking for answers.”

You can view them all here – and they’re well worth your time – or check out a few of the videos below:

CREDITS
Client: Canadian Down Syndrome Society
National Executive Director: Kirk Crowther
Treasurer: Ed Casagrande
Board member: Ben Tarr
Communications Manager: Kaitlyn Pecson
Agency: FCB Canada
CEO: Tyler Turnbull
Chief Creative Officer: Jon Flannery
Chief Creative Officer: Jeff Hilts
Chief Creative Officer: Nancy Crimi-Lamanna
ACD, Art Director: Simon Tuplin
ACD, Copywriter: Pete Gardiner
Producer: Judy Hamilton
Editor: David Rodriguez
Group Account Director: Anabella Mandel
Account Manager: Joline Christiani
Senior Strategist: Eryn LeMesurier
Digital Strategist: Shelagh Hartford
Production:
Director: Elias Campbell
Director of Photography: Stephen McLouglin
Casting: Shasta Lutz, Jigsaw Casting

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