This campaign is the definition of breaking barriers.
The goal – to change a law
The message – people with Down syndrome don’t suffer from the disability but from the way the law treats the condition
The execution – invite lawmakers and business people (without them knowing what to expect) to a pop-up restaurant staffed entirely by people with Down syndrome
In America, by law, people with Down syndrome can’t work a full-time job without the risk of losing government compensation. The income they are permitted to earn limits the community to the poverty line.
Saatchi & Saatchi New York’s latest Gold Lion-winning campaign – C21 Restaurant (the name refers to the tripled chromosome that causes the Down Syndrome) have partnered with the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) to change these laws that hinder people with Down Syndrome from perusing their career aspirations.
Why we love this campaign
An ambitious goal, with a sensitive subject that has been executed to perfection.
The “outside the box” execution is respectful yet hard-hitting, representative, emotional and honest.
It doesn’t stop there. The NDSS refers to this discrimination as Law Syndrome and has had a significant social media presence using #lawsyndrome and encouraging people to post a picture with their fingers crossed and providing a phone number to text to show support.
The campaign has had many successes with the applicable ACT’s almost doubling the amount of money that people with Down Syndrome can save in their accounts. It has been life-changing for thousands of people.
