Down Syndrome was first recognised at the beginning of the 5th century, but in 2022, the number of people living with Down Syndrome in Argentina is still unknown. Without this data, the State cannot take measures that recognise this community or create public policies that guarantee their rights, as required by the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The Down Syndrome Association of the Argentine Republic (ASDRA) and Wunderman Thompson present ‘Numbers Syndrome’, the first dynamic database of people with Down Syndrome that shows the reality of the population. Using AI, the tool transforms data it has collected since December 2021 into a catalyst for change by recognising, comparing, and generating statistics in real-time to push organisations to take action.

People are invited to become activists for the cause by sharing the data through social media to lobby the INDEC* by asking them to add a question to the list of questions on the 2022 Census: ‘Do any of the individuals in this household have Down Syndrome?’.

“We launched this campaign with the support of organisations from all over Argentina to showcase how people with Down Syndrome are invisible when it comes to State numbers. We’re demanding something as simple as adding a single question to the 2022 Census to create statistics that recognise people with Down Syndrome, to become the first country to have official data regarding this population,” said the President of ASDRA Alejandro Cytrynbaum.

“All over the world, there is no official data about people with Down Syndrome, and without these numbers, no action can be taken. That’s why combined creativity and technology to create a tool that generates the demand to change the reality of the situation and challenge a global system that needs to evolve,” explained Natalia Benincasa, CCO at Wunderman Thompson Argentina.

#NumbersSyndome #OneSingleQuestion #SindromeDeNumeros #Unasolapregunta

Credits
Agency: Wunderman Thompson Argentina
Advertiser: ASDRA
Tags: AI Tool, Down Syndrome Association, ASDRA Numbers Syndrome, Down Syndrome Association of the Argentine Republic, Public Interest Ads

A rapid increase in pre-natal screening for Down syndrome, along with near universal termination rates, means the population is declining. To the extent that it’s predicted to be extinct in Iceland by 2091.

Considered a medical achievement by some, this quiet revolution is having a devastating impact on the community. Because as the population shrinks, so do the resources they desperately need. The Canadian Down Syndrome Society’s goal was to make this silent crisis impossible to ignore any longer.

Credits
Agency Network: FCB
Advertiser Brand: Canadian Down Syndrome Society
Entrant Company: FCB
Post Production Company: Saints Editorial
Production Company (additional): The Vanity
Music/Sound Company: Silent Joe
Public Relations Agency: Glossy
Chief Creative Officer: Jeff Hilts
Chief Creative Officer: Nancy Crimi-Lamanna
Group Creative Director: Andrew MacPhee
Sr. Art Director: Michael Morelli
Sr. Copywriter: Marty Hoefkes
Art Director: Cody Sabatine
Copywriter: Joseph Vernuccio
VP Managing Director: Tracy Little
Managing Director: Tim Welsh
Group Account Director: Ravi Singh
Account Supervisor: Olivia Selbie
Account Executive: 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
Researcher: Kantar Millward Brown
Public Relations: Shannon Stephaniuk
Director: Scott Drucker
Producer: Katherine Forester
Line Producer: Sarah Kravetz
Photographer: Scott Drucker
Photographer: Chet Tilokani
Camera Operator: Scott Drucker
Camera Operator: Chet Tilokani
Editor: Michael Ofori-Attah
Editor: Jason Grebski
Colourist: Andrew Exworth
Music Track Director: Jody Colero
Engineer: John Hurlbut
composer: Benjamin Pinkerton
Animator: Michael Medeiros
Costume Design: Nikola Milic
Costume Design: Lea Krpan

Tags:
Endangered Syndrome, Digital campaign, Canadian Down Syndrome Society, Awareness Campaign

The future is voice-first, but not for everyone. Because of unique speech patterns, voice technology doesn’t always understand people with Down Syndrome. Project Understood is ensuring the future of voice technology includes people with Down Syndrome. The Canadian Down Syndrome Society is working with Google to collect voice samples from the adult Down Syndrome community to create a database that can help train Google’s technology to understand people with Down Syndrome better. The more voice samples we have, the more likely Google will be able to improve speech recognition for everyone eventually.

The Technology
Voice interfaces have now been sold in millions of products ranging from smartphones to vehicles, to home devices. These systems offer endless possibilities for enhanced living. But as it currently stands, the technology is not optimized for use by people who would benefit from it the most: people with disabilities. Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) can greatly improve the ability of those with speech impairments to interact with everyday smart devices and facilitate more independent living. However, these systems have predominantly been trained in ‘typical speech.’ But not all human speech is the same.

The unique speech patterns of people with Down Syndrome make it difficult for voice technologies to understand them. This is due to a massive lack of training data. The Canadian Down Syndrome Society, along with Google’s Project Euphonia are setting out to make speech technology more accessible to those with disabilities by recording the voices of thousands of participants with Down Syndrome to help train and improve its technology.

By reading and recording simple phrases, we can help Google recognize your unique speech patterns to improve Google’s system. Your voice recordings will be used for research, and to ultimately improve the accuracy of speech recognition for people with Down Syndrome. With your help, we can create a world where people with Down Syndrome are better understood. visit https://projectunderstood.ca/

Credits
Advertising Agency: FCB, Canada
Chief Creative Officer: Nancy Crimi-Lamanna & Jeff Hilts
President: Bryan Kane
Associate Creative Director: Elma Karabegovic
Associate Creative Director: Michael Morelli
Associate Creative Director: Marty Hoefkes
Copywriter: Shannon McCarroll
Copywriter: Jason Soy
VP, Managing Director: Tracy Little
Group Account Director: Blake Connolly
Account Supervisor: Olivia Selbie
Agency Producer/s: Sarah Michener/Kristine Lippett
VP of Operations: Shandi Horovitch
Project Manager: Cori Pettit
Chief Strategy Officer: Shelley Brown
Director of Strategy: Eryn LeMesurier
Director of Strategy: Shelagh Hartford
Strategy Coordinator: Audrey Zink
Director, Product and Technology Solutions: John Sime
EVP, Head of Global Innovation: Kris Hoet
PR: Shannon Stephaniuk, Glossy
Production Company: Radar
Director: Scott Drucker
Line Producer: Sarah Michener
Director of Photography: Scott Drucker & Chet Tilokani
Camera Operator: Scott Drucker & Chet Tilokani
Audio: Nicolas Field
Hair & Make-Up: Neil Silverman
Photographer: Cassidy Clemmer
Editing House: Outsider Editorial
Editor: John Gallagher/Michael Barker
Editorial Assistant: Scott Edwards
Executive Producer: Kristina Anzlinger
Transfer Facility: Alter Ego
Colourist: Eric Whipp
Online Facility: Alter Ego
VFX Artist: Eric Perrella
Alter Ego Producer: Caitlin Schooley-Groneveldt
Music House: Grayson Matthews
Music Track Director: Mark Dominic
Engineer: Vlad Nikolic
Audio Producer: Kelly McCluskey
Speech Pathologist: Amanda Cotton
Website design: Kris Van Wallendael, Julie Post, Dao Tran / Bliss Interactive

Tags:
Donate Your Voice, Canada, Public Interest, NGO, Canadian Down Syndrome Society, FCB, Google AI, Project Understood, Technology, Artificial intelligence, Machine learning, Innovation, Automatic Speech Recognition, Google Assistant

Going to school, playing sports, hanging out with friends, having a job and living independently as an adult – these aspects of life may appear ordinary to most people, and represent activities that most of us take for granted. But, while these things have also fortunately become a reality for more and more people with Down syndrome, many are still denied – due to inadequate governmental support and continued discrimination – the fundamental opportunities to participate in and enjoy life.

In light of this discrepancy, on World Down Syndrome Day on March 21, FCB Mexico, CoorDown Onlus and SMALL are launching a global awareness campaign called “Reasons to Celebrate,” to highlight how far we are as a society from meeting our equal opportunity obligations towards people with Down syndrome. With the concurrent theme “Leave No One Behind,” the campaign emphasizes that inclusive education, open employment, community participation, independent living and decision-making autonomy represent basic rights that should be guaranteed to everybody.

“The campaign ‘Reasons to Celebrate’ aims at shaking people’s conscience and highlighting how far-off the objectives of full equal rights and opportunities are for all people with Down syndrome,” said Antonella Falugiani, president of CoorDown Onlus. “The very fact that there is the need to celebrate this day means that we still have to work to do for the recognition and promotion of diversity, and for effecting a deep cultural change towards disabilities. Only then ‘no one will be left behind.’”

This year’s World Down Syndrome Day theme links back to the goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for sustainable development – the global plan of action to promote prosperity and wellbeing for all humankind, pledging that “no one will be left behind.” A message that holds true for all people, not only for those with disabilities. Everyone must be given the chance to live a fulfilling life, on an equal basis with others, in all aspects of society. Although significant progress has been made over the years, much more needs to be achieved in order to realize the rights of people with Down syndrome.

“I believe, overall, in diversity. I´ve experienced throughout my entire career how diversity makes for better ideas and better work environments, and therefore for a better society. I like to think about people with Down syndrome not as people with a certain condition, but as part of the diversity that represents all the possibilities of what it means to be human,” said Javier Campopiano, partner and chief creative officer at FCB Mexico. “From that point-of-view, this campaign, represents all those possibilities and the things that are still stopping people with Down syndrome from reaching their full potential: the limitations that society still imposes on them more than their own ones.”

On March 21, at the United Nations headquarters in New York, CoorDown will be represented by Marta Sodano, a 25-year-old woman with Down syndrome, who will participate as a self-advocate at the “Leave No One Behind in Education” Conference organized for World Down Syndrome Day. Together with many other speakers from around the world, Marta will share her story – reflecting those of many other Italian students – and describe the hurdles and milestones of her educational journey. The event will focus on education: the aim is to promote innovative approaches which will provide opportunities for everybody, including people with Down syndrome.

“We have been working with CoorDown on campaigns for World Down Syndrome Day since 2012, and every year together we try to find a new and unexpected perspective. This year, we have decided to arouse curiosity by talking about the other international days celebrated on March 21, and then take people by surprise by explaining the reasons why people with Down syndrome cannot celebrate this day as they would like to. We hope it may contribute to debunking the many biases that are still hindering people with Down syndrome from enjoying the same opportunities of living a full and satisfying life like everybody else,” added Luca Lorenzini and Luca Pannese, executive creative directors at SMALL New York.

The campaign Reasons to Celebrate – available on CoorDown’s YouTube channel (https://bit.ly/2W8hvQm) – was developed in partnership with FCB Mexico and SMALL New York, directed by the Hungarian director Rudolf Péter Kiss and produced by Switzerland’s GOSH* in Budapest, with the participation of actors from four different countries: United Kingdom, Albania, Switzerland and Italy. The international campaign was also launched with DSi – Down Syndrome International and had the contribution of Down Syndrome Australia, Down Syndrome Association (UK), Down Syndrome Albania Foundation and the Swiss associations Art21 Association Romande Trisomie 21 and Progetto Avventuno.

About World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD)

World Down Syndrome Day is an international event – created by Down Syndrome International and officially designated by a UN resolution – which is organized to raise a greater public awareness of what Down syndrome is, to bring about a new culture of diversity and to promote the respect and social inclusion of all people with Down syndrome.

Choosing March 21 as the date for WDSD was not random: Down syndrome, also known as Trisomy 21, is characterized by having three, rather than two, #21 chromosomes present in every cell.

About CoorDown Onlus

Coordinamento delle associazioni delle persone con sindrome di Down was created in 1987 with the aim of promoting communication actions shared among the various Italian organizations engaging in the protection and promotion of the rights of people with Down syndrome. Today, it is the official representative body interacting with all Institutions. CoorDown promotes National Down Syndrome Day (every second Sunday in October) and World Down Syndrome Day (March 21), where it produces international communication campaigns which, over the years have been awarded 20 Lions – of which 9 are Gold – at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Credits:
Client: CoorDown
Campaign: #LeaveNoOneBehind on World Down Syndrome Day
Name: Reasons to Celebrate
Agency: FCB Mexico
Chief Creative Officer/Partner: Javier Campopiano
Partner Agency: SMALL
Founder/Executive Creative Directors: Luca Lorenzini/Luca Pannese
Creative Directors: Sebastián Regiani/Guido Donadio
Copywriter: Sebastián Regiani
Art Director: Guido Donadio
Production Company: GOSH*
Executive Producer (GOSH*): Natalí Sussman, Lamar Hawkins
Director: Rudolf Péter Kiss
Post Production: Cluster Studio
Agency Producer: Georgette Rivero
Music: Picke Music

Tags:
#LeaveNoOneBehind, #WorldDownSyndromeDay, #WDSD19, FCB Mexico, World Down Syndrome Day, Reasons to Celebrate, CoorDown, Picke Music, World Down Syndrome Campaign, World Down Syndrome Day 2019, World Day of Poetry, International Day of Nowruz, International Day of Forests, United Nation, Digital Campaign, Awareness Campaign, Down Syndrome International, Down syndrome, Global awareness campaign, Leave No One Behind

As detailed in the digital promo designed by BriviaDEZ, this campaign lends a voice to people living with down syndrome. It creates a sense of inclusiveness for them that ultimately advocates the fact that people with down syndrome are also normal. Moreover, the emojis were strategically launched on July 17, World Emoji Day. The campaign gained traction at a rapid pace, and even a brand of the stature of Burger King joined the cause. Using Inclumojis is a fairly simple ordeal. All one needs to do is access the gif section of their smartphone keyboard, and search for the term, Inclumojis.

We feel that this campaign is a step towards a more inclusive society. In the era of digital marketing, such progressive campaigns prove how great of a tool social media is if used with the right intent.

IncluMojis – Videocase

Credits-
Agency: BriviaDEZ
Title: IncluMojis
Website

Tags:
Health, Down Syndrome, Burger King, Digital Campaign, Technology, Innovation, World Emoji Day

The objectives were reached in just a few days: more than 8.5 million views on Facebook, 215,000 shares, EÇADEM volunteers rose by 150% and visits to their website increased 1600%, all for an outlay of €500 (of which €150 was spent on seeding).

casta diva group’s new spot “one smile is enough to change the world” gets viral.

Casta Diva Group, the pocket-sized multinational in communication, has chalked up yet another success after the world famous ‘Hearing Hands’.
Dinamo Istanbul, part of Casta Diva Group, produced the spot “One smile is enough to change the world” that went immediately viral.
The aim of the film was to change the way society views and interacts with children and young people with Down syndrome, and to promote the Support Centre for Disabled Children (EÇADEM).
The objectives were reached in just a few days: more than 8.5 million views on Facebook, 215,000 shares, EÇADEM volunteers rose by 150% and visits to their website increased 1600%, all for an outlay of €500 (of which €150 was spent on seeding).
After only three weeks of prep time, the film was shot with hidden cameras and without actors, though with the cooperation of families with disabled children.

The film tells of a letter written by the mother of Tufan, the fourteen-year-old disabled hero of the video, which she arranges in a city park to have delivered to bystanders, who are unaware of being filmed: “Please don’t look at my son with pity; all he needs is a smile to be happy.”
The natural and spontaneous reactions to the letter are exceptionally moving , but also result in wonderful and generous smiles directed to Tufan.
Many people contributed to the immense success of the project. Direction was by writer and filmmaker Kuntay Alpman, who also made Samsung’s celebrated ‘Hearing Hands’, and the entire crew worked for no fee. Well-known Turkish actress Özge Borak provided the voice over and the music was composed by Burak Ekinil.

Casta Diva Group

Casta Diva Group is a pocket-sized multinational in communication.
Founded in 2005 by Andrea De Micheli and Luca Oddo, the brand is today present in four continents, with offices in thirteen cities: London, Manchester, Milan, Rome, Prague, Istanbul, Beirut, New York, Los Angeles, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Cape Town and Mumbai.
The Group produces spots, films and tv programming all over the world, designs and organizes events both big and small, and creates digital content, virals and output for social media.
Casta Diva Group and its staff have worked for more than 100 top brands and produced thousands of spots, digital content and events. The companies of the Group on the international market are: Casta Diva Pictures, Egg Events, Bin Jip and, thanks to a commercial agreement, Adacto.

Over the years the Group has grown steadily in terms of turnover and has been presented with many awards in Italy and abroad among which two Bronze in Promo & Activation and PR at Cannes Lions.

Credits
Client: EÇADEM
Client represantative: Güler Başaran, Gizem Bodur, Merve Esen, Duygu Aytar
Production Company: Dinamo İstanbul part of Casta Diva Group
Producer: Enis Özkul, Arda Şengel
Cameramen: Kuntay Alpman, Seyhmus Altun
Camera crew: Ege Göksu, Efe Ersoy
Production manager: Ender Kartal
Production crew: Uğur Ünlübahçeci, Nihal Özcan, Gamze Kılınç, Alican Bilbay, Kemal Emir
Voiceover artist: Özge Borak
Music Composer: Burak Ekinil (Jingle House)
Postproduction Supervisor: Unsal Aykanat
Postproduction studio: İmaj

“Katie has battled heart surgery, competed in the Special Olympics, and shines as a Best Buddies International spokeswoman. She’s also a daughter, a sister and a friend who has broken down barriers, busted stereotypes and stigmas and won over countless hearts, including ours. She is our sole inspiration for Beauty & Pin-Ups’ newest product, Fearless Hair Rescue Masque.”

It's been an exhilarating weekend for our @bestbuddies ambassador Katie Meade. Read how she is breaking boundaries for people with intellectual disabilities across the globe. She's also breaking the internet… ???? Tap the link in our profile to read her fearless story in @cosmopolitan! #bestbuddies #beautyandpinups #hellofearless

A photo posted by Beautyandpinups (@beautyandpinups) on Apr 2, 2016 at 3:44pm PDT

“She’s the type of inspiration the beauty world has been missing.” Thank you, @People, for showing the world just how fearless our @bestbuddies ambassador Katie Meade truly is. #beautyandpinups #bestbuddies #PeopleMagazine #HelloFearless

A photo posted by Beautyandpinups (@beautyandpinups) on Apr 1, 2016 at 4:58pm PDT

It's no coincidence that we unveiled our latest product during Best Buddies Month. When you purchase Fearless, or any Beauty & Pin-Ups product, a portion of the proceeds goes right to @bestbuddies, which is committed to enhancing the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities worldwide. And when you meet Katie, you'll understand why we created this product to honor her. Friendship is beautiful, and Katie is exceptionally fearless. Tap the link in our profile to SHOP FEARLESS NOW. #FriendshipIsBeautiful #BestBuddiesMonth #LoveItLiveItOwnIt #HelloFearless

A photo posted by Beautyandpinups (@beautyandpinups) on Mar 30, 2016 at 3:43pm PDT

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