Sainsbury’s, NatWest and Nationwide gift Channel 4 ad airtime to disabled causes
The deal between the brands and Channel 4 will see three social enterprises that champion disability given a 60-second spot during an ad break takeover this evening.
By Sarah Vizard
Sainsbury’s, NatWest and Nationwide are teaming up with Channel 4 to gift TV ad airtime to social enterprises championing disability.
Working alongside charity Scope and government scheme Disability Confident, the three brands and the broadcaster have created an ad break takeover for Purple Light Up, which celebrates the economic contribution made by disable people worldwide.
The takeover will see ads for soap producer Beco, chocolatier Harry Specters and brewer Ignition Brewery appear during this evening’s (3 December) broadcast of How to Save £1,000 Online on Channel 4. Each donating advertiser will also air an accompanying 10-second introduction ahead of the ad to showcase their gesture and raise the profiles of these businesses.
The campaign, called ‘Disability Works’, commemorates International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which also takes place today.
The campaign comes after the “resounding success” of last year’s activity, when Channel 4 aired a two-minute film that featured employees from brands including BT, Nationwide and Virgin Media talking about disabled people’s concerns and how they are perceived in the workplace.
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Channel 4’s chief commercial officer Jonathan Allan says: “Building on the resounding success of last year’s #PurpleLightUp activity, it’s great to work with these three great brands to donate this unique ad break, which we hope will encourage businesses to realise the value that talented people with disabilities bring to the workplace.”
The #PurpleLightUp movement aims to celebrate the economic contribution made by disabled people worldwide. It was created by PurpleSpace, a networking and professional development hub for disabled employees and their allies, of which Channel 4 is a member.
Scope’s head of policy, public affairs and campaigns James Taylor says: “It’s fantastic to see Channel 4 supporting Purple Light Up again. Showcasing disability employment by giving disabled entrepreneurs a platform on our primetime screens can only be positive.
“Disabled people remain shut out of the workplace and massively underrepresented on our screens, and behind-the-scenes. We’d like all companies to become disability gamechangers, actively challenging perceptions and attitudes towards disabled people in everything they do.”
