Sign With Fingers Big and Small

Cadbury Fingers, the iconic shareable biscuit brand loved by families is today launching a new integrated campaign, together with agency of record VCCP London.  The latest chapter of its ‘For Fingers Big and Small’ campaign series, ‘Sign with Fingers Big and Small’ encourages people across the nation to learn some British Sign Language to help people come together.

Created in partnership with the National Deaf Children’s Society, the latest campaign highlights the difference British Sign Language (BSL) can make in helping deaf BSL users feel included in shared moments. Cadbury Fingers are made for when everybody comes together, yet many in the deaf community report feelings of isolation and exclusion in the kinds of shared moments that Fingers are made for. ‘Sign with Fingers Big and Small’ aims to get Brits started with little lessons to learn some everyday phrases and conversation starters in BSL.

The new campaign aims to ensure that deaf people do not miss out on these moments in the future, and celebrates the role of fingers in helping more people come together and be a part of everyday interactions.

The campaign launches with a powerful 30” hero film, directed by Lucy Bridger, and features a deaf teenager who describes in BSL her experience of missing out as a deaf person. As her mother bustles around the kitchen, and places a box of Fingers on the kitchen countertop, the young girl looks directly at the camera and begins signing in BSL, with subtitles appearing underneath her. To highlight the exclusion experienced by deaf people, some of the subtitles are then hidden during the scene by her mother, steam boiling from the kettle, and her younger brother, offering viewers a small glimpse into disrupted interactions she experiences every day. The moving film ends with a call to action for the nation; ‘Feel like you’ve missed bits? Let’s help more people feel included.’ 

Cadbury Fingers worked with Rebecca A Withey, a deaf writer and consultant, and a co-creation panel made up of people from across the deaf community to inform the entire creative approach. The set up of the scene was influenced by ‘Dinner Table Syndrome’ - a phenomenon where deaf people are inadvertently left out of shared everyday conversations. The new creative highlights how it’s all too often that someone deaf is missed out; a word they can’t quite lip-read or a joke they’re cut off from. The film brings this to the fore, in a way that really makes hearing people stop and think for the first time. 

Alongside the AV, which plays out on VOD, CTV and YouTube, the campaign features little lessons in BSL to help people start to learn everyday sayings in BSL such as ‘Fancy a cuppa?’ or ‘Having a good day?’, alongside other regular conversational topics such as “typical British weather isn’t it” and “what a goal!” to help kickstart people’s BSL learning journey. Illustrated animations of these phrases will feature in DOOH, on YouTube and in social activity on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

These illustrated phrases direct to BSL lessons, taught by the lead actor in the AV, on the ‘Sign with Fingers Hub’, which also includes links to additional resources and learning, provides deaf awareness and inclusion advice, and discusses the various other communications methods deaf people use beyond BSL. 

Following the AV launch, the 360-marketing campaign will see OOH, digital, social, influencer and partnership activations go live.

Susanne Nowak, Senior Brand Manager Cadbury Biscuits said: “Cadbury Fingers are the much loved chocolate biscuits made for sharing and we’re on a mission to ensure no one misses out on those everyday shared moments like enjoying a cuppa or an afternoon biscuit with friends and family.  Helping people learn some British Sign Language (BSL) will play a really important role in helping deaf BSL users feel included, and while BSL involves much more than just the use of hands, fingers are a fundamental part of signing. We’re immensely proud of our new campaign and hope it will encourage the nation to learn a little bit of sign language to ensure everyone feels included.” 

Mike Wade, Director of Fundraising and Communications at the National Deaf Children’s Society, said: “This campaign will draw attention to some of the everyday challenges deaf children and young people face. It also gives everyone the chance to get involved, learn some simple signs and pick up deaf awareness tips. There's a long way to go to help deaf children and young people to feel truly included, but these small steps will make a big difference."

Laura Muse, Creative Director at VCCP London added: “Teaching people how to communicate with their own fingers, through British Sign Language, is one of those ideas that you know is brilliant from the first time you see it. And to make it feel as easy, and as fun, as sharing a box of biscuits has been an absolute pleasure.”

The integrated ‘Sign with Fingers Big and Small’ is live from today until the 31st October. Cadbury Fingers worked with global agency of record, VCCP London, content studio Girl&Bear, and VCCP’s newly launched Product and Service innovation company, Bernadette, to mastermind the new campaign.