Come on retailers, #whosnext

Here at Changing the Face of Beauty we sometimes ask ourselves really hard questions like……

Have we really influenced change?
and
Are we seeing any change in advertising as new seasons come and go?

We will say this, as we enter into the Christmas season this year three of the major toy retailers included children with disabilities in their Holiday Toy Look Books.  They remembered that all kids regardless of ability play with toys.  (Walmart, Toys R Us and Target)

That is important why?  Because every child of every ability, diagnosis and ethnicity will be thumbing through those look books as they search for the perfect gift.  Shouldn’t they all feel represented?  Shouldn’t all the parents feel their child is valued as they shop these retailers?  We think the answer to these 2 questions should be YES. So this progress makes us extremely happy.

Yet, recently we took the time to watch a children’s station on television and the ad placements through out the shows and the outcome was different.  The ads were directly marketing to children yet NOT one child was seen that would represent the 13% of children living with a disability.  Is that progress? NO

So we celebrate and we are also reminded that we have along way to go.  Education needs to happen through conversations with advertising firms that explain the buying power of this community and their families.

$1.2 Trillion dollars to be exact.

$1.2 Trillion dollars not represented.  Not even marketed too.  Thats the bigger problem.

We need your help.  We need to ask retailers a question…..
Who WOULDN’T include the largest minority in the world?  Who would intentionally leave them out? We don’t think many retailers would if their ad firms explained just how much economical sense it makes to include everyone.

How will that change you ask?
That will change with YOU, your mom, your dad, your friend and your neighbor asking for more conversation.

We have started a new campaign.  A campaign that asks the question, who WOULDN’T want these faces in advertising?

I mean come on.  Look at these faces.  Is there one you would not include?

or one of these faces?

We are pretty sure you would not be able to pick one of these faces and say…..
“No, sorry.  We don’t ever want you to be represented by the strongest most influential imagery in the world.”  Media and Advertising.

Want to help? Here is what you can do.

1/ Share these faces. Ask the question.
“Who wouldn’t want this face in their advertising?”

2/ Call out your retailers.
“Hey @Gap won’t you be #whosnext?  Won’t you consider including this face in YOUR advertising and #changingthefaceofbeauty?”

3/ Make a donation.
Help us take this conversation inside ad firms, high schools and colleges.  Help us explain the importance of all people of all abilities being seen, all the time.

4/ Partner with Changing the Face of Beauty
Partner with us to really change the landscape of advertising.  Come along with us and work to really influence the media and advertising  to ensure that ALL people are seen.

Big things happen with big support and we need YOU!
Lets do this.  Katie