The Uniform Is Part of the Participation Problem

ASICS’ 2024 State of Mind Study highlighted the connection between physical activity during adolescence and mental wellbeing later in life. The brand also points to a troubling figure: 64% of UK girls drop out of sport before turning 16.

The campaign identifies school PE kit as one barrier worth addressing. Traditional uniforms can leave little room for personal preference, different body shapes, changing weather or the practical concerns that come with growing up. When clothing makes participation uncomfortable, the experience of sport can become less inviting.

According to the campaign research, 70% of girls said they would be more likely to take part in PE if their kit made them feel more comfortable, while only 12% were completely satisfied with what they currently wore. The research also found that 63% believed it was time to reimagine the PE kit. Together, these findings put the uniform itself under scrutiny.

ASICS The Undropped Kit Starts by Listening to Girls

ASICS developed the kit concept with Inclusive Sportswear, mental health charity Mind and input from more than 2,000 teenage girls across the UK through a co-creation and testing process. Focus groups, surveys and a school trial helped identify what students wanted from their PE clothing.

The resulting concept was designed around different body shapes, weather conditions and personal styles. Its central proposition is straightforward: girls should be able to concentrate on playing sport without their clothing becoming a source of discomfort or distraction.

The collaboration reflects the principles of Inclusive Sportswear, which places comfort, practicality, choice and personal expression at the centre of sportswear design. Rather than asking girls to adapt to a uniform that may not suit them, the campaign asks what the uniform should do for the people wearing it.

From Sportswear Design to a Wider Conversation

The campaign connects ASICS’ interest in physical activity and mental wellbeing with a practical issue in everyday school life. The PE kit becomes the tangible expression of a broader question about access: who feels comfortable enough to participate, and what could schools change to make that experience more welcoming?

Partner athlete and contributor Tess Howard MBE OLY brings a sporting perspective to the initiative. The involvement of Inclusive Sportswear, Mind and teenage participants also places lived experience alongside the design process.

The campaign invites schools and other decision-makers to reconsider the choices available to students. But a prototype and a persuasive campaign are not the same as widespread adoption. Its long-term value depends on whether schools can translate its principles into practical uniform choices that are comfortable, affordable and accessible to pupils.

The concept is not currently a retail product. ASICS presents it as a way to demonstrate what a school PE kit designed around girls’ needs could look like and to encourage broader change.

Rethinking What Girls Need to Play

ASICS The Undropped Kit makes a compelling case for looking beyond the obvious barriers to participation in sport. A PE uniform may seem like a small detail, but for the girls expected to wear it, comfort and choice can shape the experience of taking part. By involving teenage girls in the design process, ASICS turns their everyday frustrations into the starting point for a different approach.

The campaign’s most interesting move is to shift the question from why girls drop out to what might make staying in sport easier. That change in perspective gives the work its relevance, connecting a tangible design problem to a wider conversation about inclusion.

Whether the concept leads to lasting change will depend on what happens next: whether schools adopt more flexible kit options and whether girls feel the difference. For now, the campaign offers a useful reminder that participation is not only about encouraging people to play. It is also about removing the things that make playing harder than it needs to be.

Explore more ideas in Campaigns of the World’s Film and Video collection.

Credits
Brand: ASICS
Campaign: ASICS The Undropped Kit
Creative Agency: GUT Toronto
PR Agency: Golin Ketchum London
Partner Athlete & Contributor: Tess Howard MBE OLY
Pilot Testing Partner: Burnley High School, UK.

Bridging the audiobook accessibility gap

According to the World Blind Union, over 90% of published books remain inaccessible to blind and visually impaired readers. For families in the United Kingdom, finding affordable audiobooks presents an ongoing challenge. Commercial audio productions carry high retail prices and often focus on popular commercial titles, leaving smaller niche segments underrepresented. According to the Royal Society for Blind Children, more than a third of blind or visually impaired individuals face financial pressures, making paid digital entertainment subscriptions hard to maintain.

At the same time, millions of parents read stories aloud to their children every evening. The RSBC Bedtime Donations campaign captures those routine moments and channels them into a crowdsourced utility. By leveraging existing public domain texts sourced from repositories like Project Gutenberg, the platform sidesteps licensing barriers while creating a perpetual stream of fresh content.

Dual interface and inclusive user design

The platform operates through two distinct user interfaces, titled Reader mode and Listener mode. In Reader mode, adults choose from an organized catalog of short stories divided across fifteen distinct categories. As they read off their phone screens, the app records their speech. Once a track passes automated verification checks for audio clarity and profanity, it moves directly into the main audio library.

In Listener mode, children browse and play back recorded tracks freely. Accessibility guidelines shaped the entire technical layout of the software. Design details adhere to WCAG Level AAA standards, keeping a strict contrast ratio of 7:1 for users with partial vision. High-legibility typography and screen-reader compatibility across iOS and Android ensure that children can navigate the interface independently.

To explore similar digital utility projects and creative work, visit campaignsoftheworld.com for coverage on worldwide brand activations.

Public involvement and creative execution

Several prominent public figures joined the effort during its initial rollout, including actors and comedians Jon Richardson, Alison Steadman, Ralf Little, Mathew Baynton, and Jon Culshaw. These public voices provided early recordings to seed the catalog with recognizable names, encouraging parents across the country to download the app and contribute their own voices.

The campaign demonstrates how simple digital tools can repurpose daily human habits to fix real community resource shortages. Instead of relying solely on heavy production budgets, the charity turned routine bedtime reading into a community-powered service.

Further documentation and creative background regarding the project can be reviewed at https://bedtime-donations.com/.

Credits
Client: Royal Society for Blind Children (RSBC)
Lesley Temple, Head of Marketing & Comms
Lily Rose, External Affairs Director
Helen Whittaker, Marketing Executive & Business Partner
Gorga Mllaurie, Interim Creative and Digital Marketing Manager
Nicole Martin, PR Consultant

Agency: INNOCEAN Berlin
Gabriel Mattar, European Chief Creative Officer
Ricardo Wolff, Executive Creative Director
Jose Suaid & Sebastian Pattis, Creative Directors
Fran Misetic, Art Director
Elise Chastel, Senior Designer
Ana Zuric & Divya Mirlay, Copywriters
Julia Sachse & Alexander Aleksidze, Senior Motion Graphic Designers
Daniel Manzi & Pedro Paes, Conceptors
Vladimir Osokin, Web Designer
Alessia Bellini, Client Service Director Europe
Lisa Osokina, Account Director
Molly Snowden, Social Media Strategist
Allison Markert, Senior Producer
Anni Rostomashvili, Francesco Cabassi, Raissa Rochesso & Yusuf Elebiary, Book Researchers

Supporting Companies:
App development company: Buzzwoo
Jens Brater, Project Lead / Account Manager
Yukyik Lopmuang, Project Manager
Jan Suthacheeva & Commee Budkrajang: Backend & AI Development
Bomb Jantarawong & Nicolas Demogue, Mobile App Development
Nutty Kriangkraiwut, QA/Tester

Music: DaHouse
Wonder Bettin & Lucas Mayer, Music Supervisors
Cassiano Derenji, Executive Producer

PR: Jessica Fuchs Communications
Jessica Fuchs, Public Relations Manager

This campaign is about:
Royal Society for Blind Children, Bedtime Donations, INNOCEAN Berlin, World Blind Union, Audiobook Accessibility, Audio Campaigns, Inclusive Design, Non Profit Advertising, UK Advertising, Assistive Technology, Audiobooks for Children, Accessibility Innovation, Digital Campaigns, Social Good Advertising, WCAG Accessibility, Crowdsourced Content, Public Domain Stories, Creative Tech.

Tactile paving has been part of urban infrastructure for decades. The standard system uses textured ground surfaces to help visually impaired people navigate pavements and crossings. Cemento Sol Sightwalks extends that system to carry destination information — something the existing format does not address.

How the Cemento Sol Sightwalks System Works

The tiles use a coded line pattern. Horizontal lines indicate the category of the adjacent establishment: two lines for a bank, three for a grocery store, four for a pharmacy. Vertical markers above and below those lines indicate which side of the street the venue is on. A person using a guide cane counts the lines and gets the information directly from the ground.

According to Circus Grey Peru, the system was developed in close collaboration with visually impaired organizations across Peru. Those groups were involved throughout — testing the tiles, validating the tactile vocabulary, and confirming usability in real urban conditions. The first implementation was in the Miraflores district of Lima.

The project addresses a gap that the standard tactile paving system leaves open. Existing infrastructure helps people move through space but offers no information about what occupies that space. Sightwalks is designed to fill that gap with a low-tech approach that requires no digital components.

Open Source by Design

Cemento Sol and Circus Grey Peru released the tile designs and patents as open source. Any city, municipal authority, or organization can adopt and replicate the system at no cost. As Designboom reported, the project is positioned as a model that other cities and countries can apply directly.

Gabriel Barrio, Commercial Manager at Sol Cement / UNACEM, stated that the idea had unanimous internal support from the moment it was presented. He described Sightwalks as a project that reflects the purpose of both Cemento Sol and its parent group, UNACEM.

Reach and Awards

According to figures shared by Grey, the implemented area has reached more than 75,000 square metres, with over 500,000 visually impaired people reported to benefit from the rollout.

At Cannes Lions 2024, Sightwalks received a Grand Prix alongside four Gold, two Silver, and one Bronze Lion. It also took a Grand Prix at the London International Awards that year, with six Gold, three Silver, and one Bronze. In 2025, the project received further recognition, including the One Show Grand Prix, nine Gold, and four Silver, among other awards across Clio, D&AD, El Sol, and ANDYs.

For an OOH campaign, the installation is the work itself. The tiles remain in place after the campaign period ends, so the system continues to function in Miraflores beyond the launch period.

Brand and Product Alignment

Cemento Sol’s core product is cement, and the Sightwalks tiles are made of cement. The project applies that material to a practical accessibility problem in the city.

Visual impairment is one of the more common disabilities in Peru. Instead of treating the issue as a one-off campaign message, Cemento Sol addressed it through infrastructure.

Credits
Brand: Cemento Sol / UNACEM
Agency: CIRCUS GREY
Global Chief Creative Officer: Gabriel Schmitt
Presidente & CCO Grey Latam: Diego Medvedocky
Global Head of Creative Excellence: Maru Sokolowski
Chief Reputation Officer Grey Latam: Florencia Kessler
Creative Chairman & CEO: José Rivera y Piérola
Chief Creative Officer (CCO): Charlie Tolmos / Piero Oliveri
Executive Creative Director (ECD): Gonzalo Aste
Creative Directors: Percy Rocha / Miguel Ucañán
Head of Content: Rodrigo Castro
Account Director: Vanessa Ortega
Account Supervisor: Lizet Gonzales / Vanessa Graham
Account Executive: Lorena Gómez / Yessica Ordoñez
Head of Production: Vanessa Gómez
Production Director: Kathy Santillana
Experience Agency: DINAMO
Chief Executive Officer: Sandra Goicochea
Account Supervisor: Cynthia Salcedo
Account Executive: Mariana Castro
Architectural and Designer Consultant: Luis Torres
Production Company: REBECA
Director: Mario Angulo
Assistant Director: Ducelia Woll
Executive Producer: Alejandro Noriega
Production Supervisor: Eduardo Guerra / Pierina Ravizza
Production Assistant: Gianella Bellido / Camila García
Director of Photography (Training Sessions): Didac Saez
Production Company 2: PUNTO APARTE
Camera 1: Mario Bertocchi
Camera 2: Alonso Gutiérrez
Executive Producer: Lucho Vargas
Production Assistant: Ana Pau Quintana
Editor & Post Producer: José Pacheco
3D: MIDAS ART David Vega
Audio Company: Agosto Music & Sound Craft
Music Director: Claudia Incio

UNACEM:
Commercial Manager: Gabriel Barrio
Marketing Manager: Claudia Rivero
Marketing Director: Maria José Arredondo
Marketing Coordinator: Camila Acuña
Trade Marketing: Fátima Armacanqui

This campaign is about:
Cemento Sol Sightwalks, Cemento Sol, UNACEM, Sightwalks Campaign, Circus Grey Peru, Tactile Paving, Visual Impairment, Inclusive Design, Accessibility, Urban Design, OOH Campaigns, Outdoor Advertising, Experiential Marketing, Social Impact Campaign, Innovation in Advertising, Public Infrastructure, Open Source Design, Cannes Lions, Creative Advertising, Peru Advertising.

In a powerful demonstration of how creativity can drive meaningful social change, FCB Chicago, in collaboration with the Chicago Hearing Society (CHS) and Rakish Entertainment, has unveiled a revolutionary captioning system— Caption With Intention. This innovation is set to redefine accessibility in film and television, offering Deaf and Hard of Hearing audiences a more immersive and emotionally resonant viewing experience.

Transforming Captions from Functional to Emotional

For decades, closed captioning has served a functional role—translating spoken words into on-screen text. But this often fails to convey critical emotional cues like sarcasm, tone, or pacing. Recognizing this limitation, FCB Chicago and its partners sought to answer a pivotal question: What if captions could do more than just inform—what if they could truly connect?

Caption With Intention answers that call by integrating animation, color, and dynamic typography into traditional subtitles. The result is a captioning system that not only delivers dialogue but also communicates mood, rhythm, and character intention—transforming how stories are told and experienced.

Co-Creation With the Deaf Community

At the heart of this innovation lies a deep commitment to inclusive design. FCB and CHS spent nearly a year working directly with members of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community to build this system from the ground up. Through hands-on workshops, remote feedback sessions, and iterative testing using scenes from iconic films, the team was able to refine the system based on lived experiences and real needs.

“We brought together a diverse group of Deaf and Hard of Hearing people, whose lived experiences and expertise guided the team in shaping a system designed to serve our community and beyond,” said Karla Giese, Coordinator of Training and Education at CHS. “Centering Deaf perspectives was essential to ensuring the authenticity of this new caption design system.”

A Creative Collaboration Backed by Hollywood

The project also garnered support from Rakish Entertainment, a film company founded by Academy Award-nominated director Marc Forster. As a longtime creative ally of FCB, Forster played a crucial role in shaping the visual execution and introducing the concept to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

That introduction led to a landmark recognition: on April 29, at the Academy’s Scientific and Technical Awards, Caption With Intention was honored with an Award of Merit (Oscar® statuette)—a testament to its potential as a new industry standard for accessible filmmaking.

Open-Source for Global Adoption

Perhaps one of the most remarkable aspects of the initiative is its commitment to openness. The entire Caption With Intention system has been released as open-source, making it freely available for adoption by film studios, production houses, and streaming platforms around the world.

This positions the project not just as a creative innovation, but as a global movement toward inclusive storytelling—one that recognizes accessibility as a vital aspect of the cinematic experience.

The Power of Empathy-Driven Creativity

For those behind the campaign, the project is deeply personal. Bruno Mazzotti, Executive Creative Director at FCB Chicago, shared his unique perspective:

“I grew up with two Deaf parents, so we only watched captioned programming in our house. As someone who could hear, I could tell just how much was missing—sarcasm, anger, joy, fear—all of it lost in plain white text. This project was a chance to finally close that gap, not just for my parents, but for millions of people like them.”

So A Ryu, a designer and creative contributor to the project, added:

“As a Hard of Hearing designer, I believe accessibility isn’t just about delivering information—it’s about delivering the full creative expression. This project brought that belief to life.”

Meanwhile, FCB’s Global Chief Creative Officer Andrés Ordóñez summarized the mission beautifully:

“What began as a conversation with creatives like So A Ryu and Bruno Mazzotti quickly became a new way of seeing. Captions could be more than functional—they could be emotional, intentional, and deeply human.”

Why This Campaign Matters for the Creative Industry

From an advertising and marketing perspective, Caption With Intention exemplifies the power of purpose-led creativity. It’s a masterclass in how brands and agencies can go beyond conventional storytelling to create real impact.

Key takeaways for marketers and creatives:

• Inclusivity is Innovation: Designing with marginalized communities in mind leads to breakthrough ideas that benefit everyone.
• Emotional Storytelling Wins: By turning captions into emotionally expressive tools, the campaign redefines audience engagement.
• Open-Source Can Scale Impact: Sharing tools with the global community positions the campaign as a catalyst for industry-wide transformation.

Conclusion: A New Chapter in Accessible Storytelling

Caption With Intention isn’t just a design upgrade—it’s a cultural shift. By fusing empathy, design, and technology, this campaign is setting a new benchmark for inclusive storytelling in the entertainment industry.

For creatives, marketers, and filmmakers alike, it’s a powerful reminder that true innovation often lies in the details—and that every frame, every word, and yes, even every caption, holds the power to move hearts and change minds.

This campaign is about:
Inclusive Storytelling, Creative Advertising Campaigns, Accessibility In Film, Caption Design Innovation, Deaf, Hearing Accessibility, Creative Marketing Campaigns, Film Technology, Innovative, Empathy Driven Creativity, Open Source Captioning, Cinematic Accessibility, FCB Chicago Campaign, Rakish Entertainment, Caption With Intention, Oscar Winning, Inclusive Design, Accessible Entertainment Solutions, Digital Campaigns.