Procter & Gamble broadcast a TV commercial with audio description in Switzerland for the very first time. The Gillette commercial is just the beginning of accessible TV advertising in Switzerland. The audio description function, which has been used in feature films at SRG SSR for several years, is now making its way into TV advertising in Switzerland. For example, the consumer goods manufacturer P&G has broadcast a Gillette TV commercial with audio description for the first time.

In this TV commercial, the visual images on the screen are explained by accompanying audio descriptions. These descriptions are placed during pauses in the commercial’s dialogue, and are predominantly designed for viewers who are visually impaired. This audio track also aims to help autistic viewers better understand the situations and emotions depicted in the commercial. Procter & Gamble launched the initiative in spring with its TV commercials for Ariel, and intends to produce all its commercials with audio description in the future.

In this way, P&G is taking on a pioneering role in accessible TV advertising. Kristina Bulle, CMO at Procter & Gamble in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, is delighted that the manufacturer can now also broadcast accessible TV advertising in Switzerland: ‘Our mission is to make sure that our corporate and brand content can be accessed and understood by everyone. We want to give all audiences the same access to information – including in commercials – and thereby help to drive positive change in society.’

The function is available to all viewers via their TV settings. They can view programmes with audio description by selecting the corresponding audio channel.

In Switzerland, the broadcasting of accessible TV advertising is possible exclusively with Admeira. The service is available free of charge to all Admeira customers who deliver their commercials with a suitable audio track.

Imagine living in a world where your language goes unheard. For roughly 30,000 Greeks, this is their daily reality. Simple tasks, like navigating public services, become arduous due to the absence of support for Greek Sign Language. Recognising this challenge, Greece's National Electricity Company (PPC) resolved to stand in solidarity with its hearing-impaired customers.

The campaign was aired on both Star and Antenna TV in Greece. Antenna offered an extra discount for this specific campaign in order to enhance the cause.

How was accessibility included in the campaign?

In the summer of 2022, PPC launched a video call service to assist hearing-impaired customers. They provided sign language interpreters to make this service accessible.

The campaign featured a stand-up comedy performance exclusively designed for a deaf audience, filled with inside jokes and community sarcasm. Initially, the campaign ran on television for two weeks without any subtitles. This had three primary objectives:

• To inform the deaf community about the availability of this new service from PPC.
• To draw attention from the media to the challenges faced by deaf individuals and their integration into Greek society.
• To help the general public empathise with the difficulties of communication in a world where they themselves would be "disabled."

After generating substantial interest and sparking discussions on social media and in the media during those two weeks, the campaign was later broadcast with Greek subtitles to ensure that the broader public became aware of this valuable service.

The results were impressive, as nationwide research confirmed its impact, and the commercial was voted the best of 2022. It was a silent campaign that made a resounding impact.

What were the outcomes?

• 11M views on social media
• 5M views on YouTube
• The TV campaign reached 93% of people over 25 years old
• The campaign was voted'Best Ad of 2022'by the readers of the biggest local press publication
• 88% among the hearing-impaired community said this campaign makes them feel more optimistic about the future

To mark International Day of the Deaf on 23^rd September, M6 Publicité stepped up its commitment to inclusion and accessibility by announcing the launch of its subtitling service on linear TV. The initiative aims to ensure that more TV ads are broadcast with subtitles for the deaf and people with hearing loss.

While 5 to 7 million people in France are deaf*, only 10% of ads broadcast on linear are subtitled. M6 Publicité set out to change this. For those advertisers who have never included subtitles on their TV ads before, M6 Publicité is offering the first set of subtitles on the house (conditions apply).

M6 Publicité teamed up with leaders in ad delivery, Peach and Extreme Reach, to launch this initiative on the French market.

This subtitling service is now available on all Groupe M6 channels.

* Source: Fondation Jean-Jaurès and Média'Pi with ifop - 2021

Background:

Traditionally, telecommunication contracts have been lengthy and filled with legal jargon that can be difficult for many people to comprehend. nju mobile recognised and aimed to address this challenge by transforming their contracts into a more accessible format. They understood that simplifying the language and presenting the information in a visually appealing manner would improve comprehension and inclusivity.

How accessibility was included in the campaign:

• Translating contracts into Instagram posts:

nju mobile took a creative and practical approach by translating their long contracts into bite-sized Instagram posts. By breaking down the complex information into visually appealing and concise posts, they made it easier for users to understand the terms and conditions of their contracts. This approach simplified the content and made it more engaging and accessible to a broader audience.

• User-controlled audio:

Understanding the importance of catering to diverse needs, nju mobile implemented user-controlled audio features. This feature allows individuals with visual impairments or those who prefer audio-based information to access the content effectively. By providing audio options, nju mobile ensures that individuals with different abilities can consume the information in a way that suits them best.

• Writing to a low literacy level:

To ensure that the information conveyed in the contracts is understandable to a broad range of users, nju mobile adopted a simple and concise form of communication. They used clear and straightforward language, avoiding technical terms and complex sentence structures. This approach benefits individuals with lower literacy levels or those who may struggle with comprehension.

• Avoiding images of text:

Recognising the limitations faced by individuals with visual impairments or those using screen readers, nju mobile made a conscious effort to avoid using images of text. Instead, they provided text directly, ensuring all users could access and understand the information without relying on visual content.

• Avoiding abbreviations:

Abbreviations can create confusion, especially for individuals unfamiliar with industry-specific terms. nju mobile consciously chose not to use abbreviations in their contracts, promoting clarity and ease of understanding for all users.

• Adequate touch target area:

nju mobile designed its digital interfaces, including Instagram posts, focusing on usability and accessibility. They ensured that touch targets, such as buttons or links, were large enough to be easily tapped or selected by users with various motor abilities, reducing the risk of accidental interactions and improving the overall user experience.

Understanding the importance of customisable text sizes for individuals with visual impairments or those who prefer larger fonts, nju mobile allowed users to resize the text without compromising the layout or functionality of Instagram posts. This flexibility ensures that individuals can comfortably read the content according to their visual needs.

• Colour contrast checking:

nju mobile prioritised colour contrast in their designs to ensure optimal readability for all users, including those with visual impairments or colour vision deficiencies. By conducting colour contrast checks, they guaranteed that the text and graphic elements had sufficient contrast, making it easier for users to distinguish and comprehend the content.

Recognition:
The campaign was awarded with a KTR Award.

Background

Unilever is committed to increasing diversity and promoting more inclusive representation of people through its advertising. Dove’s Advanced Care Hand Wash campaign does just that & is an important step in its #unstereotype commitment. To launch Dove’s new hand wash, Dove wanted to reappraise the importance of their hands. It was the first time Dove’s testimonial was told by the hands themselves, in Sign Language.

Creative

Our hands are important to us all, but particularly so for one group who use their hands to connect with their worlds every day: deaf and hard-of-hearing women. Discover the value of hands to these women, and how Dove Hand Wash gives their hands the care and nourishment they deserve. Because for them, and all of us, our hands mean everything.

Media & Accessibility

Their testimonials were so powerful that a brief for a 15" digital film quickly turned into a 60" spot that launched on primetime US TV and is running in Cinemas. Airing with open captions and sign language. With the ideation being inclusive it does so much of the legwork for the Deaf and hearing-impaired community.

Background

Unilever's Unstereotype commitment aims to eradicate stereotypes by embedding inclusion and stories of diverse, underrepresented audiences in all marketing communications.

To champion this commitment, the world’s largest laundry brand, Dirt Is Good (better known as Persil, OMO and Surf, amongst others, in specific global markets), recently commissioned Big Sync Music to create a brand sonic identity that is accessible to as much of the global hearing-diverse and Deaf community as possible. There are 1.5 billion people globally living with some form of hearing loss.

Redefining the Creative Idea

Just like a visual logo helps to create visual recognition and association with a brand, a sonic logo aims to achieve the same effect through sound. Designed to capture the essence of a brand's personality, values and messaging in a few seconds of sound. Crafted to be as unique as each brand, recognisable and to evoke emotions or responses in the listener.

Dirt is Good set about to redefine its sonic branding to ensure it was as inclusive and accessible as possible, sound for all.

The brief was to capture the creation of the brand sonic in a film. Creatively, we took a mini-documentary approach, taking the audience behind the scenes of the music production process. Candid workshop moments and interviews captured with the sonic creation team and some of the contributors, showcase the collaborative and iterative nature of the sonic production.

This behind the scenes follows the team working with experts in the hearing-diverse community to ensure the song and sounds created were as accessible to the audience as possible while representing Dirt is Good and its brand purpose. It was an exciting opportunity to explore creativity being inclusive by design as well as the access services to bring this work to life to the largest possible audience.

Plastic Pictures ensured the film itself is available with open captioning, British Sign Language interpretation and English audio description.

Baileys believes that treating is for everyone. After all, in a world that’s often serious and unpredictable, they provide us with impulsive moments of pleasure.

But Baileys realised that their content is not so delicious, if you are blind or visually impaired and relying on screen-readers to engage with the content.

That’s where Delicious Descriptions come into play!

From now on, all of their treat content will include delicious Alt Text and [Image Descriptions].

Delicious Descriptions are image descriptions that Baileys will use on social that are equally as delicious as the image themselves, if not more. They sit underneath post copy, in closed brackets like [these].

Created in consultation with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and Meta, Baileys launched on Global Accessibility Awareness Day with a guide (Baileys Delicious Descriptions Guide) on how to write delicious [Image descriptions] alongside a series of in-feed assets, which give a taste of the experience of listening to their Delicious Descriptions through a screen reader.

Both campaigns will be supported with paid media in GB and US. To further amplify the campaign, both markets are working with local influencers Lucy Edwards (GB) and Molly Burke (US) of the visually-impaired community as well as acclaimed singer/songwriter Lachi (US).

Baileys are also encouraging their network of ‘makers/bakers/shakers’ and other brands and organisations to join them and make their social content more accessible to wider audiences.

 Why not take a look at their guide on writing delicious [Image Descriptions] and Alt text, and join them too?
https://www.instagram.com/baileysofficial/

Well-loved by ITV’s audience and reaching millions of viewers every weekday, Loose Women has made its mark by providing a platform for women of all walks of life to discuss issues that are important to them. It is not just a talk show, but a vibrant celebration of womanhood, embracing the diversity and complexity of the female experience in a wonderfully refreshing way.

From breaking down stereotypes, and championing body positivity, to tackling hard-hitting topics with grace, humour and empathy, Loose Women has firmly placed itself at the heart of the UK's daytime TV schedule. Each ‘Loose Woman’ brings her unique voice to the table, ensuring that a wide variety of viewpoints are explored and celebrated. This lends to the show’s dynamism, keeping the discussions fresh, relevant, and reflective of British society.

As part of Deaf Awareness Week, running from the 2^nd - 8^th May 2023, a fully accessible special episode of Loose Women aired, featuring a fantastic panel including Rose Ayling-Ellis - BAFTA winner and Strictly Come Dancing star. Rose brought a poignant first-hand perspective on the realities of everyday life as a deaf person, sharing her experiences with humour, honesty and warmth, and bringing a refreshing and memorable energy to the show.

The Loose Women team worked alongside charities Royal National Institute for Deaf People, Sign Health and The Deaf Collective, and the show's audience was made up of the deaf community, along with family, friends and BSL (British Sign Language) signers, with captions available to the live audience to make the live show accessible. During the episode, Loose Women fans were able to watch a linear feed with subtitles, or access a version on ITVX with subtitles and an 'in vision' signer.

To further emphasise the themes of accessibility and inclusion that the episode embodied, ITV Commercial also worked with advertising partners, including Cadburys, Aldi, Boots Hearingcare, McCain's and HSL, to create a very special silent ad-break.

The ad break takeover emulated the deaf experience by presenting all audiences with silent TV commercials. Captions and sign language interpretation were included to make the ads accessible and to highlight the value of these access services.

SevenOne Media (ProSieben) in Germany set out to explore the feasibility of providing audio description (AD) services on linear TV to make content accessible to those with vision impairments. The German media company encountered a technical challenge: a lack of free audio tracks available to insert the additional voice-over file necessary for delivering AD on linear TV broadcast. For SevenOne, out of a total of eight audio tracks, two are used for left and right audio and the remaining six are used to enable surround sound, resulting in the lack of free tracks for AD.

A solution was found in Austrian company, AUDIO2, specialists in subtitle and AD services, who created a mobile app which allows blind and visually-impaired users to access AD services for TV content through their own mobile device. Seven.One worked with AUDIO2 to create an app, available on iOS and Android, that is compatible with SevenOne’s own channels and programming.

Whenever AD is available, an on-screen logo appears signalling that users can activate the service on their mobile device. This innovative AD solution is available for over 100 shows, including Germany’s Next Top Model and The Masked Singer.

The AD service is also compatible with smart speakers such as Amazon’s Alexa. if AD is not available, users can ask Alexa to be automatically reminded when the next show with AD starts.

This tool is used to enable AD on SevenOne’s programming, however, the service is ready to be used for advertising content also, should the demand arise from advertisers on the market. Since the launch of the solution, the first accessible TV spots aired on ProSieben in December 2022, involving four spots delivered with AD and subtitles.

Television is a beloved form of entertainment that transport us to new worlds and shape contemporary pop culture. In recent years, international content in foreign languages has grown in popularity. To fully experience the emotions conveyed in these shows, it is essential to watch them in their original language with subtitles.

However, for people with dyslexia, reading subtitles can be a challenge. They may require additional time to read and process each word, making it difficult to fully grasp the meaning of the dialogue before the subtitles disappear. This means that dyslexic viewers often have to settle for dubbed versions of shows, missing out on the nuances of the original performances.

To address this issue, CANAL+ collaborated with the ad agency BETC Paris and NGO Puissance Dys, which was founded in 1992 to support dyslexic individuals. Together, they developed DYSTITLES: a new type of subtitles that are adapted for both dyslexic and non-dyslexic viewers.

The font used in DYSTITLES was developed by Beatrice Sauvegeot, a speech therapist and neuropsychologist who has been working with dyslexic individuals for over ten years. The font was designed specifically to mimic the way that dyslexic individuals perceive letters, allowing them to read subtitles without having to decipher each word letter by letter. The font is also readable by non-dyslexic after a short adjustment period.

By addressing the needs of dyslexic viewers, CANAL+ is promoting inclusivity and raising awareness of the challenges that people with dyslexia face when watching shows with subtitles. DYSTITLES will soon be available on the myCANAL platform as an option in the audio settings for multiple languages and subtitles, and will be included in the entire catalogue of shows on all devices.