Highly Commended
Now I Know
Summary of work
The National Autistic Society’s Now I Know campaign spotlights the authentic stories of an overlooked and misrepresented community: autistic women and non-binary people.
It was inspired by the words of Dawn Mills who when remembering receiving her autism diagnosis at age 56 said, “I always knew who I was. Now I know why I am”.
Most late-diagnosed women and non-binary people never considered they could be autistic because of male-centric stereotypes. Therefore, this campaign platformed a diverse range of people and experiences with the hopes of reaching undiagnosed autistic women and non-binary people who may be struggling.
Six portraits and accompanying stories kicked off the campaign across social, aiming to inspire other late-diagnosed autistic women and non-binary people to share their stories too.
Authenticity was kept at the heart of the campaign from the language to the photography. We worked with an autistic photographer from Rankin Creative to photograph each person in spaces that reflected their personalities and interests. The photography set-up included a shutter-release cable so that each person could be in control of capturing their image as they wished to be seen.
Resulting in autistic women and non-binary people feeling seen, respected and getting involved themselves.
Judges’ comments
Ogilvy and the National Autistic Society have produced a well-executed and sensitively handled campaign. The production value of the photoshoot is high, and the judges particularly liked the idea of letting people take their own photos, which placed each of the subjects at the helm of self-expression. An excellent campaign showing a clear impact within a tight budget.
