The Down syndrome community is shrinking. A smaller community has less of a voice. People with Down Syndrome need support. Support such as education, housing and employment. FCB Canada has turned these real facts into the idea that people with Down Syndrome are an endangered species.
The Canadian Down Syndrome Society (CDSS) is applying to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the organisation that manages the Red List of Threatened Species, to have people with Down syndrome become the first humans to ever be included, in an effort to advocate for similar kinds of funding, protections, government intervention, and public awareness that species on the Endangered List receive.
FCB Canada is promoting this with a series of videos in which people with Down Syndrome appear in dress-ups, representing endangered species such as lions, pandas, rhinos and sea turtles and put forward their case.
The campaign was created pro-bono to coincide with Canadian Down Syndrome Week from November 1 to 7.
“You may not think about it, but the reality is that people with Down syndrome face far more challenges than most of us, and they need more support than they’re getting. Whether it’s underfunded support programs for education, higher rates of unemployment, extended wait-lists for appropriate housing, or even just negative public perception and stigma, the challenges faced by people with Down syndrome aren’t decreasing — they’re increasing,” stated Laura LaChance, board chair of CDSS.
The videos are supported by interviews with parents, people living with Down syndrome and experts, to deepen people’s understanding about the challenges that those in the Down syndrome community face. The full campaign also includes posters, billboards, and pre-roll videos directing people to the campaign’s information and action hub.
Credits:
Creative Agency: FCB Canada
Chief Creative Officers: Nancy Crimi-Lamanna & Jeff Hilts
Group Creative Director: Andrew MacPhee
Creative Team: Michael Morelli, Marty Hoefkes, Cody Sabatine & Joseph Vernuccio
VP, Managing Directors: Tracy Little & Tim Welsh
Account Management: Ravi Singh, Olivia Selbie & Alex Kreinces
Agency Producer: Katherine Forester
Director of Project Management: Shandi Horovitch
Project Manager: Elizabeth Lane
Chief Strategy Officer: Shelley Brown
Planning Director: Eryn LeMesurier
Research: Paul Gareau @ Kantar Millward Brown
PR: Shannon Stephaniuk @ Glossy
Production Company: Radar
Director: Scott Drucker
Producer: Katherine Forester
Line Producer: Sarah Kravetz
DOPs: Scott Drucker & Chet Tilokani
Editing Company: Saints Editorial
Editors: Michael Ofori-Attah & Jason Grebski
Post Production : The Vanity
Colourist: Andrew Exworth
Music Company: Silent Joe
Music Track Director: Jody Colero
Engineer: John Hurlbut
Composer: Benjamin Pinkerton
Animation: Michael Medeiros
Website design: Happiness Saigon
Media Agency: UM Canada
Client: Canadian Down Syndrome Society
Chair: Laura LaChance
Vice Chair: Ed Casagrande
Marketing & Communications Manager: Kristen Halpern
Governance Committee: Stewart Moffatt
Board Member: Ben Tarr
