Unilever’s Degree Deodorant–also called Sure, Shield and Rexona–has launched the world’s first inclusive deodorant for people with visual impairment and upper limb motor disabilities: Degree Inclusive. One in four Americans, and one in five Brits, has a disability, but despite being the largest minority community across the globe, products and experiences are still not designed with this community in mind. Across the beauty and personal care industry, there is currently no deodorant product suitable for people with upper limb disabilities to use; twisting a deodorant cap, turning a stick, or pushing down on an aerosol can with limited arm mobility is a real challenge. And sometimes the fear of sweating keeps people with disabilities from moving as much as they would like to.
Degree believes in the power of movement to transform lives–and that everyone should be able to experience the incredible physical, mental and social benefits movement provides. Deodorant helps give people the confidence to move. Therefore, in an effort to provide equitable access to the products and experiences needed to move, Degree partnered with Wunderman Thompson and their Inclusive Experience Practice, alongside occupational therapists, engineers, and consultants with disabilities. Driven by a mission to make the deodorant application process accessible to everyone, Degree Inclusive has been designed with the following revolutionary features as noted in the brand’s product development video:
- A hooked design for one-handed usage
- Magnetic closures that make it easier to take the cap off and put it back on for users with limited grip and/or vision impairment
- Enhanced grip placement for easier application for users with limited grip or no arms
- A braille label with instructions for users with vision impairment
- A larger roll-on applicator to reach more surface area per swipe
Working in collaboration with award-winning international design studio, SOUR, the Degree Inclusive prototype was co-developed with a cross discipline team at Wunderman Thompson, led by Christina Mallon, Wunderman Thompson’s global head of inclusive design.
“As a disabled person, I’ve experienced first-hand the challenges of living in a world of conventional design, where most products and services are not designed with the disabled community in mind,” said Mallon. “Being unable to access a basic utility like deodorant–something most people take for granted–has a huge impact on your ability to move, and therefore your quality of life in general. That’s why we’re incredibly proud to have partnered with Unilever to create this innovative and life-changing product: the very first deodorant designed by people with disabilities–for people with disabilities. We hope this will inspire more brands to take an inclusive and accessible approach to design.”
As the first agency to build an Inclusive Experience Practice (IXP), Wunderman Thompson partners with some of the world’s largest brands. The IXP team helps businesses create accessible products, services and communications using inclusive design methodology. More than just the right thing to do, inclusive design has been shown to be the best way to drive innovation, with companies 1.7 times more likely to be innovative if they are inclusive. Not only is the disabled community’s disposable income estimated at $8 trillion in the U.S. alone, but 70% of all consumers prefer to buy inclusive brands–meaning it offers both a competitive advantage and increased growth potential for brands.
The team at Wunderman Thompson Buenos Aires–which came up with the original idea of making an inclusive deodorant–also created an inspiring campaign which demonstrates how an everyday utility product like deodorant can revolutionize movement for people with disabilities.
The campaign includes this spot which introduces us to Nick, an athlete who uses and values the new inclusive deodorant. Martin Donozo of production house LaDoble directed the commercial.
CreditsClient Unilever/Degree Inclusive Agency Wunderman Thompson Buenos Aires Sebastian Tarazaga, Dany Minaker, chief creative officers, LATAM; Natalia Benincasa, chief creative officer, Argentina; Andrea Ventura, Gaston Canaves, Agustin Alba, Pablo Maldonado, creative directors; Fernando Rossini, head of art; Josefina Espil, integrated production leader; Mariana Jauregui, production manager; Leandro Ramirez, editor/animator; Daniel Gatto, graphic production manager; Ronny Weter, Aurelia Sisinni, strategy lead; Daniel Alaniz, content strategist. Production Company LaDoble Martin Donozo, director; Agustin Gutierrez, exec producer; Marco Pilosio, producer; Sebastian Cantillo, DP. Postproduction Luis Staffolani Audio Post Porta Studio Music Perra Santa. Product Design SOUR Studio Michael Tranquilli, occupational therapist; Keah Brown, Keisha Graves, Natalie Trevonne, Lissa Loe, disabled co-collaborators, U.S.; Lidia Beatriz Peyronnet, Andrea Lopez de Mora, Mercedes Monjaime, Cecilia Rizzo, disabled co-collaborators, Argentina; Santiago Estevez, Nicolas Trapenese, creative collaborators.
Director Gia Coppola Teams With Mejuri For “A New York Minute”; 1st Episode Takes Us To The Grocery Store
Mejuri, known for turning fine jewelry into an everyday luxury, has partnered with director Gia Coppola (The Last Show Girl, Palo Alto) and The Directors Bureau in Los Angeles, for the first time reimagining the brand’s story as episodic content. In a series of microfilms, co-created by Coppola and premiering following New York Fashion Week, Mejuri eschewed a typical celebrity campaign and cast us as voyeurs to a group of aspiring young women--real people, not actors--at the crossroads of their adult lives against the backdrop of New York City.
Titled “A New York Minute,” the series features five real-life friends, who include one perfectly imperfect heroine named Emma. The women celebrate ordinary moments and interactions which reveal, sometimes retrospectively, the extraordinary within the mundane. Adjacent to the brand’s own community, the 30-something year old cast includes Laura Love (Emma), Rebecca Ressler, Natalie Vall-Freed and Rozzi Crane. Mejuri’s jewelry makes an appearance as the best supporting actor.
“When I met with Gia and The Directors Bureau team, there was instant creative and personal chemistry and a natural alignment on the desire to push and blur the lines between marketing, storytelling, and the construct of what a ‘campaign’ could be,” said Jacob Jordan, chief brand officer, Mejuri. “Gia was able to push that idea into something that truly feels new and artful, with a realism and relatability that almost feels jarring. Gia was such a perfect collaborator and partner, someone I had complete trust in to be a catalyst for Mejuri’s values of celebrating women as their truest selves. I can’t wait for us to continue to tell the next chapters of this story.”
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