Love Our Work: Sarah McGregor on The University of Dyslexic Thinking

With over two decades of experience in Melbourne and London, Sarah McGregor is executive creative director at AKQA Australia. She has held senior creative roles at agencies including Dentsu Creative, Leo Burnett, cummins&partners, Karmarama, Y&R, and Grey London. Throughout her career, she has led award-winning campaigns for iconic brands such as Honda, Bonds, Nintendo, 7-Eleven, Virgin, Kmart, L’Oréal, The Iconic, Tourism Western Australia, Transplant Australia, and Marriage Equality.

LBB> What’s the piece of work you love?

​The University of Dyslexic Thinking by DDB Melbourne.

I love this idea for the way it highlights and celebrates neurodivergent superpowers – and how it does this by proving it rather than just telling it. The inclusion of arguably the world’s most famous dyslexic visionary, Richard Branson, is inspired and paired with Open University’s brand, gives this real clout.

There’s a lovely tension here that actually says non-dyslexics are the ones that need ‘fixing’ -- and that anyone can unlock divergent thinking skills to become more accomplished.

I also love that this is an idea that is enduring -- it stands the test of time and makes a permanent impact.

LBB> What do you love about it?

If dyslexia was a brand, then this is a master class in rebranding. A little like what Channel Four’s Paralympian work does for disability, or Essity for periods, work like this changes the narrative around the issue -- reframing how we should all think about it. And that’s behaviour change at its finest.

LBB> Is it in line with work that usually grabs your attention?

It is in line with what usually grabs my attention because it flips the script on something accepted. In this case, that dyslexia is a problem, not an asset. I like ideas that are hard to pull off -- that usually means they’re good! It’s clear the team spent many years to ensure that this is a legitimate change-making idea rather than just a short-term attention grab.

LBB>  What does it do for the brand, the category, the agency, and/or our industry?

I think work like this proves that we should all be playing the long game with our ideas. Asking ourselves “will it live beyond a case study?” and ensuring that we are not in the business of one-offs, no matter the category we’re tackling. In a world where an AI robot can spit out an idea in two seconds, making work that endures and touches as many people as possible is more important than ever.