RNIB enlists John Lewis and Aldi for Christmas ads campaign
The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is calling on the UK’s biggest retailers to make their Christmas TV adverts accessible for blind and partially sighted people.
Almost two million people with sight loss are potentially excluded from some, or all, of these ads because they aren’t produced with audio description (AD), it says.
David Clarke, RNIB Director of Services, comments: “Christmas TV adverts have become an essential part of the UK’s festive culture and we believe that everyone should be able to take part in the conversation around them, regardless of how much they see.”
“With audio description added to adverts, blind and partially sighted consumers can enjoy and understand content through sound as it describes body language, expressions and movements which are otherwise lost to them.”
Retailers that make their adverts more inclusive by adding audio description are opening themselves up to two million consumers that they would otherwise miss out on, Clarke adds.
“This not only makes good business sense, but they are also easy to produce at a tiny fraction of the budget most brands spend on Christmas marketing anyway. It is also the right thing to do to make everyone feel included.”
The RNIB has received positive responses from the John Lewis Partnership and Aldi.
Claire Pointon, John Lewis Customer Director, says: “We committed to making our Christmas campaigns accessible to blind and partially sighted consumers. Over the years the premier of our Christmas advert has become a much heralded TV and online viewing event that receives significant media attention.”
“We are delighted to confirm that our advert will have audio description so that consumers with sight loss don’t miss out on the fun when it is premiered. We will continue to work with RNIB to ensure that our organisation continues to be accessible for blind and partially sighted consumers, whether they shop online or in-store.”
Richard Thornton, Communications Director at Aldi, says: “We’ve been working closely with the RNIB to look at a number of initiatives across our business.”
“And we’re really pleased that we have been able to incorporate audio description into our main Christmas advert. We look forward to continuing to work with the RNIB to meet the needs of our colleagues and customers.”
Sign up for our free retail technology newsletter here.
Continue reading…