Misfit Media

Watch this ad for 15 seconds and let me tell you why I think that Walmart is making strides to unseat Target as the heavy-weight champ of disability inclusive marketing. If you've ever sat through a training with me you've heard the story of how the first time I ever saw someone disabled in marketing it was at Target, and how that changed my life as an 8 year old who was being severely bullied. In terms of longevity and consistency, Target has been casting inclusively longer and better than any Fortune 500 company I've seen. But, when it comes to intentionally creating a STRATEGY that taps into the $13T in global spending of disabled people and our families, they're not doing much aside from in store casting - a big mistake and huge opportunity for competitors IMHO. Walmart first started catching my eye with their back to school campaign, and they're REALLY sealing the deal with this holiday spot. Why? They're tapping into our narrative framework. One thing I love about this ad specifically is that we don't actually know who is deaf or hard of hearing; it shows how disability affects entire families. By avoiding showing us who exactly it is affected by hearing loss, they're able to challenge a common trope that is often perpetuated by casting via power dynamics: infantilism.   Let's be honest: everyone thinks kiddos are cute, so it's often the easiest sell to an agency or brand to cast disabled children. The majority of representation we see is in fact through children, but do you know what happens to disabled children? This may shock you, but if all goes well, they grow up! They become adults. I was once a disabled child, and now I am - and this is true - a married thirty two year old with a full time job and a mortgage. Adults with disabilities regularly deal with a stereotype called infantilism, where non-disabled people assume they cannot and will not be able to be independent, reliable, successful etc. The campaign “Assume I Can” by Luca Lorenzini and Luca Pannese challenges this very concept.   We always encourage clients to think about the power dynamics at play in their casting - instead of casting a kiddo in a wheelchair, why not cast the Mom? Instead of casting the extra talent in the office having a prosthetic, why not the CEO? That way society gets the privilege of their bias being challenged, and little kiddos who are in wheelchairs get to see something to aspire to. They get to see what's possible. By not letting us in on who in fact was the hard of hearing family member(s), we get to wonder and pause our bias while observing how families affected by disability still have moments of magical joy. Want all my insights on what Walmart can do to improve, and what Target's inclusive legacy can teach us? Link to sign up for our newsletter "The Inclusive Group Chat" is in the comments where we deep dive into it all. #DisabilityInclusion #InclusiveAdvertising #RepresentationMatters #a11y #Disability #Advertising

So... you know you should prioritize disability inclusive marketing, but have no idea how. Good news: we've got your back. Join us as we dive into our favorite part of disability inclusive marketing that connects all the pieces and drives massive ROI thanks to the $13T in buying power from disabled people: strategy. As a bonus, we're letting you submit your brand for an opportunity for a free audit! We'll research your brand, how it could be positioned to speak to the disability community better, and give you practical next steps you could take and implement immediately. Plus, we're going to have fun. We don't do stuffy trainings or events!