Fumble: Disability Inclusion at Super Bowl LVIII
Whenever we tell clients that disabled people make up 25% of the US population, and that 40% of families have at least one or more people with disabilities within them, they’re shocked. We all know and love someone who is disabled - or we will someday - yet because of the small representation in advertising, we struggle to grasp the prevalence of disability within our society.
Equally as interesting to advertisers is the buying power of people with disabilities. Studies estimate that the disability community has between $8T-$13T in spending power. Brands that advertise during the Super Bowl are looking to make big statements to viewers, considering this coveted spot will run them about $7m.
When we consider that disabled people have that buying power, and are shown in ads less than 1% of the time, and usually through problematic tropes, it shows a glaring need for creatives to sink their teeth into disability inclusion with the same enthusiasm we’re all dipping our chips into guac. It’s fascinating that in an ad-off so clearly focused on stealing the hearts of viewers, that so few brands focused on disability, especially when we consider:
84% of consumers have a more favorable impression of companies that include people with disabilities in their marketing.
80% of these consumers express a desire to do more business with such inclusive companies
75% find these companies more trustworthy
Let’s take a look at which brands prioritized disability inclusion in 2024, which ones fumbled the ball, and what brands sitting on the sidelines should do to get in on the action.
Clear Winner: Google's Pixel 8 Ad
Google's Super Bowl commercial for the Pixel 8 not only showcased the innovative "Guided Frame" feature but also set a new standard for disability representation in advertising. Directed by Adam Morse, a blind director, this ad brings a genuine perspective on accessibility and inclusion, challenging stereotypes and showcasing the capabilities of individuals with disabilities in all aspects of life.
The ad definitely showed elements of “functional inclusion” - our framework that talks about ads that show how a product benefits the disability community. But because the ad has a narrative surrounding the lived experience of people with low vision or blindness, we put this in the “Narrative Centric” category. This short spot challenged stereotypes surrounding
Our desirability: most people think that disabled people are undesirable or asexual. My husband begs to differ.
Our ability to parent: forced sterilization is still legal in the United States and is unfortunately very common amongst people with disabilities because nondisabled people think we’ll be unreliable or irresponsible parents.
Our self sufficiency: many people (incorrectly) believe that disabled people are a burden on society and no amount of accessibility will change that.
One of the key differentiators between this ad and the Kia ad is the lens they use to view disability - also known as “model” of disability. This ad was clearly made through the “social model lens” which is by far the most widely acclaimed lens of viewing disability from disability advocates. Chef’s kiss to the team - they knocked it out of the park.
Honorable Mentions: Volkswagen & NFL Pro Shop – Inclusion in the Crowd
Both Volkswagen and the NFL Pro Shop subtly integrated people with disabilities into their commercials, demonstrating that inclusion doesn't have to be a grand gesture but can be as simple as thoughtful casting and narrative development. The Volkswagen ad shows a montage of people from all walks of life that have used their cars over the years, including people using sign language in the car. The NFL Pro shop showed fans sporting their sports gear (cringe at that dad joke with me) while one person happened to have a limb difference. While we love the ads like Google, the reality is doing “Narrative Centric” inclusion well takes a lot of resources. If we mandated that all brands had to be on that level to do disability inclusion, we’d never see an increase in representation.
By including disabled people in large casting montages, it tells viewers two things:
Disability is normal human diversity
We see you and value you just as much as our other “extra” talent
This approach sends a powerful message about the normalcy of including people with disabilities in all walks of life.
Missed The Mark: Kia – A Step Backwards?
I know, I know… Kia’s ad made you tear up thinking about your grandma or parent who is missing out on big life events. I get it, it made me miss my Yaya too. But, Kia's attempt at narrative-driven inclusion ended up perpetuating the "burden" trope and was created from what seems to be the lens of the “charity model” of viewing disability. Hear me out:
As creatives we know that the lens we view things through drastically changes the way the content we create looks and is perceived. The “charity model” of viewing disability relies on nondisabled saviorism (a form of inspiration porn) to help disabled people access the world.
For example, if there’s a person who cannot access a grocery store because the entrance requires stairs, the “charity model” would tell a story of nondisabled people rallying together to carry the disabled person up there. This is “great” at the moment, but what happens next time if those exact people are not there? The disabled person would starve.
In contrast, the “social model” would view that same story, but have the narrative revolve around the grocery store doing a remodel to add a ramp so that all people can access it ongoing, and never worry about inaccessibility again.
In the Kia commercial, they’re implying that the grandfather couldn’t make his granddaughter’s skating performance and that Kia makes it possible for him to see it in real time. But let’s pause and think about why older people or people with disabilities typically miss big live events:
Inaccessibility at the venue
Inaccessibility in travel
Risk of contracting disease due to people not masking
When we position a brand as a hero without acknowledging the real reasons for the systemic issues disabled people face, we neglect an opportunity to tell the full story. Here’s the narrative I’d recommend instead, after they worked with the disability community to enhance accessibility features:
Dad is at daughter’s skating performance, with an empty seat next to him.
Cut to grandpa looking at videos of him teaching his Granddaughter to skate when she’s much younger.
Dad researches accessibility features in cars and Kia pops up.
Dad calls the venue to check on accessibility options.
Dad brings Grandpa to the performance comfortably thanks to the features Kia’s added at the recommendations of their accessibility team.
Daughter’s face lights up when she sees grandpa in the audience.
End Screen with Logo + “Kia - movement that inspires.”
This is just one of the many reasons we love working with existing creative teams - we see all of the pitfalls in inclusive marketing that you may not. They likely spent months pulling together what they thought would be an incredible commercial, only to have it need some more nuance to connect with the community. Without clear intent and understanding, even well-meaning efforts can fall short of their inclusive goals. But when you work with us, you’ll hit the nail on the head everytime. (I rewrote the script in less than 5 min)
Not An Ad (But It Should Be): A Missed Opportunity for Many
So many brands missed the chance to include people with disabilities in their commercials. These montage-style ads could have easily embraced inclusivity with the right guidance and intention, showcasing the effortless integration of disability inclusion into mainstream media. All of the following had montages that focused on showing the general population, yet left out disability entirely:
Microsoft
Uber Eats
Bud Light
Reese's
E*Trade
Dove
Michelob
Oreo
Lindt
Hellman's
When brands go out of their way to try to show the general public in their ads but then neglect to include disability, it’s a microaggression. Believe it or not, disabled people are a part of the general public and if they want our money, brands need to start acting like it.
Out of 58 ads, only one got narrative centric done well, and only four ads in total were disability inclusive at all. When we consider the hundreds (if not thousands) of talent that were cast in these ads, seeing four people with disabilities reinforces our point that our representation rates are far too low, and creative teams need support in doing this correctly.
Misfit Media was born out of this very need. We believe in creatives. We believe that people like you want to do the right thing, but likely just are uninformed about how and why to do it.
We believe that those who create content create culture - if that weren’t true, none of us would have jobs. If that weren’t true, brands wouldn’t pay $7m to place an ad on the Super Bowl. We believe that in order to shift the systemic issues disabled people face, we first need to address the way society views disability. We need you to believe that this is your responsibility, because it is. We're here to make that as painless (and dare I say fun?) as possible.
Let's do work that changes the world and impresses tf out of your boss. If you’re ready to get started, grab a copy of “Inclusive Creativity: Disability Insights for Creative Teams” to start your team’s journey towards creating inclusive ads for next year’s Super Bowl, and forever.