Here we begin a three-part series on commercials from around the world that have incorporated sign language. The lifespan of commercials tends to be very short, and it is difficult to find them after a while. Therefore, we try to compile some of them here. We have done so across three periods:
- Pioneers (1987-2009).
- Digital Explosion (2010-2016).
- The Era of Normalization (2017-2022).
Of course, this classification is entirely arbitrary, and any other could be established. It is simply a matter of avoiding publishing more than 50 commercials on a single page, which would make reading uncomfortable.
This is the first in the three-post series on sign language advertising: in the late 1980s and early 1990s, some advertisers dared to put sign language in front of the camera. The reasons varied: some did it for the power of sign language communication in contrast to the auditory and visual hyper-stimulation they had been using, others as a challenge to the conventional codes of mass communication, and others simply to showcase the brand's solidarity value.
This first installment covers the pioneer era from the mid-1980s to 2009, when seeing sign language in television advertising was a rarity. Many of these commercials can no longer be found on any official website, which is why they are preserved here as a preservation archive for educational and cultural purposes.
Note on Copyright and Cultural Preservation: The videos and advertisements compiled in this article are displayed exclusively for educational, cultural, informative, and historical archive purposes. This website lacks any commercial purpose or direct or indirect financial gain. The preservation of these pieces responds to a need for collective memory and the preservation of the visual history of the deaf community. Experience shows that this type of advertising content, once its commercial life has ended, tends to disappear from the web and corporate archives, losing a heritage of great value for the visibility and representation of sign language and the deaf community. For the agencies and brands that created them, these commercials likely no longer form part of their active commercial activity; however, for the deaf community, they represent cultural and social milestones that deserve not to fall into oblivion. This space has no intention of contravening intellectual property rights or generating legal disputes. If you are the rights holder of any of these videos and have any objection to their presence here, we invite you to contact us via this page before initiating any other measure to always reach a friendly and constructive understanding.
★ Featured commercial
McDonald's·1986·USA
Silent Persuasion
Filmed with deaf students from NTID/RIT
One of the first known television commercials entirely in American Sign Language (ASL). Starring Beth Ann Bull and Andrew Rubin, then deaf students at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. McDonald's was the first company and major fast-food chain to bring sign language to its advertising.
Bell Atlantic·1989·USA
Bell Atlantic 9-1-1
Commercial by the telephone operator about deaf people's access to the 911 emergency service, at a time when communication relied on TTY (teletypewriter) and telecommunications relay services. No information has been found about it, but it appears that all the children starring in the commercial were deaf.
Citibank·1980s·USA
Unknown title
A Citibank commercial—one of the largest banks in the world—existed in ASL in the 1980s. The original title and exact launch year are unknown. Do you recognize it?
Kellogg's·1993·USA
Corn Flakes — «Psych!»
Kellogg's Corn Flakes commercial starring entirely by a deaf teenager signing in ASL. The commercial ends with the expression "Psych!", which appears to have been a very popular English expression at the time.
Dr. Scholl's·1993·USA
Clear Away
A deaf girl explains in sign language why she uses a Dr. Scholl's wart remover. It is one of the first commercials to cleverly use a situation involving deaf people to promote the product.
Transcript
"I use my hands to speak to the world. That's why, when I have a wart, I can't hide them; but I can hide the wart and cure it with Clear Away wart remover. Its medicated disks work quickly with a cover that conceals it while it heals, so people pay attention to my words and not my hands. Dr. Scholl's Clear Away Wart Remover: conceals as it heals."
Transcribed from the original English audio.
Apple·1995·USA
«Power is…»
In 1995, a powerful Apple campaign titled "Power" brought together celebrities of the time such as Spike Lee, Oliver Stone, George Clinton, and the very famous deaf actress Marlee Matlin explaining what the "power" of the Macintosh computer meant to each person.
Bayer·1995·USA
Bayer Aspirin (ASL testimonial)
This commercial was completely innovative because it has no background music or voiceover, only English subtitles. It starred deaf actress and activist Jackie Roth, who became known following this commercial as "the Bayer Girl." Broadcast in the United States in June 1995, it is an early example of national advertising featuring ASL as a central resource.
Kraft·1995·USA
Kraft Singles — «Emily explains»
1995 commercial in which a deaf girl, Emily, explains in sign language where Kraft Singles, popular processed cheese slices, come from. The only located copy is hosted on Facebook.
Oreo·1999·USA
Oreo in ASL
Starring deaf actress Terrylene Sacchetti, deaf from birth and from a fourth-generation deaf family, and her son Gianni Manganelli (deaf, 8 years old at the time), who converse in ASL about ways to eat an Oreo. Terrylene won the role by beating out hearing actresses.
Vicks Vaporub·1999·Peru
Unknown title
Recorded as a 1999 Peruvian Vicks VapoRub commercial featuring sign language, but neither the title nor the original video has currently been located on the internet. Do you remember it?
English is cool·2000·Brazil
Unknown title
2000 Brazilian commercial in which "English is cool" might actually be the title or campaign, rather than the advertiser. Neither the actual advertiser nor the video has been located. Any clues are welcome.
Dentiste·2006·Thailand
Unknown title
Fun and original Thai commercial by Dentiste, an oral hygiene product brand, which years later had a replicated version in English (2015). Although the commercial stars hearing people for reasons you will understand when you watch it, the cleverness and inventiveness of using sign language as an advertising hook deserve a place in this post.
Centennial·2007·Puerto Rico
Unknown title
2007 commercial from a former telephone operator in Puerto Rico, Centennial. In this case, we are looking at a commercial that promotes a specific relay service for deaf people, but does so cleverly and appealing to viewers' emotional sensitivity.
★ Featured commercial
Pepsi·2008·USA
Bob's House
Created by PepsiCo's EnAble employee network
This commercial is a true classic and gained major repercussions. It first aired during the Super Bowl on February 3, 2008, the most expensive advertising slot in the United States. It drew powerful attention because Pepsi aired 60 seconds entirely in ASL, with open captions and no sound, based on a classic deaf culture joke: two friends are looking for their friend Bob's house at night and, unable to find it, honk the horn. The lights turn on in every house except one: Bob's, who is deaf and cannot hear the horn. The commercial was conceived by employees of PepsiCo's EnAble network, with consulting from the National Association of the Deaf.
Claro·2008·Peru
Claro Video Call
2008 commercial by Claro, a telephone operator in Peru, promoting its video call service. Information located about the commercial indicates it was launched in 2008. Do you have more information?
Amnesty International·2009·Spain
The Power of Your Voice
Amnesty International Spain campaign advocating the power of raising one's voice (also in Spanish Sign Language) for human rights. Fortunately, Amnesty International still preserves the original video on its YouTube channel. The commercial starred deaf theater actress Mar Píriz, making very original use of different camera angles without losing the message.
McDonald's·2009·Mexico
Universally spoken
Alma DDB (Miami)
No subtitles or voiceover: just background music and signing deaf youth. At the end, the caption "Universally spoken" appears, which earned it some criticism precisely because sign languages are not universal, but it holds the value of showcasing real deaf youth in authentic interactions. The idea is likely similar to the original 1986 one.
Taipei Deaflympics·2009·Taiwan
Power in Me (無聲的力量)
This is a countdown promotional video for the 2009 Taipei Deaflympics. Although it is a specific commercial, it features the surprising presence of world-renowned actor Jackie Chan. The official theme song of the games, "Power in Me" (無聲的力量, the power of silence), gives the commercial its title.
Philips Senseo·2009·Netherlands
Het is wat je deelt
Douwe Egberts / Philips
Campaign for the Senseo coffee maker (by Philips), filmed entirely in Netherlands Sign Language (NGT). The complete slogan is "Het is niet wat je zegt, het is wat je deelt" (It's not what you say, it's what you share) and nothing is better than sign language to represent that slogan.
