Inclusive advertising: The new trend of the advertising industry for people with disabilities
Advertising and media representations help shape social norms, yet people with disabilities and other marginalized groups remain underrepresented or are portrayed through stereotypes that reinforce ableism and exclusion. This paper is an analysis of disability codes from an advertising perspective, drawing on a series of inclusion and digital marketing concepts associated with advertisements and magazine covers aimed at people with different stereotypes or culturally accepted values. The primary objective is to understand and investigate an approach grounded in advertising theory that makes disability and functional diversity more visible and raises awareness, thereby promoting social inclusion through industry and consumer goods. A qualitative methodology was applied across two case contexts: an international agency and a Chilean agency, both of which incorporated disability into the advertising and/or marketing area. Some results from the different mechanisms behind the images of the inclusive campaign through the interpretation of photography possess the advertising of a visual dialogue that seeks to capture the attention of viewers and customers, representing the particular physical characteristics of the models with disabilities that turn them into advertising portraits. The research findings support the arguments presented and reflect the conviction, commitment, and goodwill of all members of an inclusive society willing to challenge stereotypes and promote a positive image. In conclusion, this work suggests that inclusive advertising can contribute to improved quality of life not only for people with disabilities but also for society more broadly by identifying needs rather than assuming them and by clarifying their relationship to discrimination and ableism within inclusive social identity in the advertising and marketing industry.
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