TBWA\London Evolves Adland Portrayals of Disabilities with BECO

TBWA\London has developed a launch campaign for BECO: the new social enterprise creating ‘BEtter COnsidered’ toiletries so consumers can purchase without compromising their social and environmental concerns. The campaign, which debuts in The Guardian on 21 December 2018 and is a precursor to 2019’s full body of creative work, avoids worthy or overblown disability tropes to instead communicate more authentically.

Using the brand platform of ‘as clean as humanly possible’, the ads plainly spell out BECO’s environmentally friendly credentials whilst unashamedly communicating how the majority of the brand’s employees are visually impaired, disabled or disadvantaged. 

The first ad delivers a tongue-in-cheek line summarising what makes BECO unique: “80% of our workers are disabled. Does that make us an unequal opportunities employer?”. Another reads: “Sareet used to complain no one would hire him because of his disability. So we’re delighted to say all he complains about now is his commute.” 

Because BECO and TBWA\London want to evolve advertising’s portrayals of people with disabilities away from overly earnest or overhyped messaging, the campaign is designed to drive awareness and consideration through a more level-headed and honest way of talking about people with disabilities. 

BECO’s co-founder, Camilla Marcus-Dew, said: “We are a disruptive brand and we need a disruptive agency to help us bring our unique message and products to the market, putting change in the hands of consumers across the UK. TBWA’s progressive ideas will help us stand out by talking more authentically about disabilities and getting people to think differently about the power of their Pound.”

TBWA\London’s CCO, Andy Jex, added: “To be able to create work for a product this great and for a brand as important as BECO really is a double whammy.”