Case study | Vanish (Reckitt): Me, My Autism and I
This case study was originally published in the WFA DEI in Content Production guide (June 2024)
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Me, My Autism and I is an evocative docudrama film telling the story of one autistic girl and the visceral importance of her hoodie. The film is part of a Channel 4 Diversity in Advertising Award-winning campaign from laundry and stain removal brand Vanish, in partnership with charity Ambitious about Autism.
The campaign aims to break down myths and broaden public understanding of autism, particularly in girls, who are three times less likely to be diagnosed than boys. As a brand, Vanish is committed to helping clothes last longer – and for most autistic people, familiar and consistent clothing can help with sensory regulation and can provide a source of comfort.
For the Vanish team working on this project it was important to cast an autistic girl, which meant that the set had to be neurodivergent-friendly. The film was a true co-production with the protagonist, Ash, and her real family, who star alongside her, with a storyline reflecting their experience of living with autism: from meticulously recreating Ash’s hoodie and bedroom, casting her best friends alongside her and using improvisation to capture their voices.
Creating a safe and welcoming environment for the cast to portray their lived experiences was paramount in this process, and so was building the right atmosphere for Ash to revisit the script and act.
The campaign resonated hugely with the autistic community, which felt seen, heard, and supported. For autistic girls to turn on the TV and see an everyday brand like Vanish make autism feel like a normal conversation was powerful, particularly in a world that often treats difference as a deficit.
The campaign resonated beyond the community as Channel 4’s research project, Mirror On The Industry, showed that 79% of people feel more informed about the lived experience of autism since watching the film.
This response is down to the film's authenticity, honesty, and rawness. Ash’s brilliance shows the talent you can unleash by giving people a safe space to tell their story.
