This short film is the centerpiece of a campaign created by Publicis New York for CoorDown, Italy’s national organization for people with Down syndrome. Titled Not Special Needs, this digital film was directed by Wayne McClammy of Hungry Man. The work, which deploys well-timed comedy, is designed to help change perspective and perceptions about people with Down syndrome–they don’t have special needs but rather human needs such as friends, jobs, love, respect and so on.
The film stars Lauren Potter, the popular actress with Down syndrome who played the role of Becky Jackson in Glee, and John McGinley, best known for his role as Dr. Perry Cox on Scrubs, and whose 18-year old son Max has Down syndrome.
Andy Bird, chief creative officer, Publicis New York, stated, “The term ‘special needs’ is a euphemistic way to speak about persons with disabilities and their needs. The reality is people with Down syndrome do not have different or special needs, although they may sometimes meet those needs in different ways, they have the same needs as all of us… jobs, friends, love and simply the need to be seen and treated equally.”
Credits
Client The Coordination of Associations of People with Down Syndrome (CoorDown) Agency Publicis New York Andy Bird, chief creative officer; Luca Pannese, Luca Lorenzini, executive creative directors; David Green, copywriter; Jen Wang, art director; Tim Ayers, director of integrated production operations; Jakub Popadium, sr. integrated producer; Scott Jones, lead AD technical developer; Dara Mao, interactive developer; Lisa Bifulco, chief production officer; Chris Muldoon, producer; Marc Legana, editor; Rachel Rauch, music producer. Production Hungry Man Wayne McClammy, director; Kevin Byrne, exec producer/managing partner. VFX/Puppeteering Legacy Effects Editorial Rock Paper Scissors Rana Martin, Eve Kornblum, EPs; Christjan Jordan, editor; Pieter Viljoen, assistant editor; Dani DuHadway, producer. VFX/Post Shed Billy Hobson, colorist; Paul O’Shea, Miles Essmiller, Phil Man, VFX. Music, Sound Design & Mix Beacon Street Studios, Venice, Calif. Andrew Feltenstein, John Nau, composers; Leslie DiLullo, exec producer; Kate Vadnais, sr. producer; Rommel Molina, mixer/sound designer; Vivi Rojas, mix assistant.
At the heart of this campaign for Pay.UK Current Account Switch Service (CASS) is a playful yet relatable narrative, brought to life in the hero TV commercial, “Blind Date.” Directed by Rosie May Bird Smith of Biscuit Filmworks for agency House 337, the spot follows a woman nervously meeting her blind date, only to discover the person waiting for her is someone you definitely wouldn’t want to meet on a blind date. The voiceover reassures: ”Blind dates. They’re a bit like switching bank accounts. You don’t want any surprises. That’s why we guarantee there won’t be any when you switch with the Current Account Switch Service.”
“Everyone knows the pain of a bad date, the gut-churning realization you’ve texted your boss instead of your mate, and being stuck next to someone eating the world’s stinkiest lunch,” said Ross Newton, creative director, House 337, who added, “Life is a minefield of unwanted surprises, so coming up with the campaign idea was the easy part. The real challenge was deciding which situations to include and which to ditch. Sadly, these scenarios are all too relatable for us all, myself included.”
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