Introduction
In recent years, numerous articles and guidelines have been published on making audio-visual ads accessible across various platforms, including linear TV and online.
One of the core principles of inclusive design is to consider accessibility from the outset. In the case of ads, accessibility should be factored in from the storyboard stage. While audio description is a widely used tool, it requires carefully timed pauses between the voiceover and any critical sound effects, making early planning essential for content as short as 30-45 seconds.
Ads that are audio-led can still be made accessible by embedding key information (product, brand, offers) into the narration and sound design. This approach particularly benefits online platforms, most of which don’t support secondary audio tracks. Without built-in accessibility, viewers who rely on audio description are forced to search for separate versions, leading to a poor user experience.
Co-creation has also been widely discussed but still lacks implementation in many workflows. Including blind and partially sighted people in focus groups and audience testing provides valuable feedback and enhances the overall accessibility of ads.
Visual considerations for making ads accessible
Aside from incorporating a rich soundscape with audio description, it’s important to consider the accessibility of visuals, particularly for people with partial sight loss or those watching on platforms that do not support audio description. Ensuring visual accessibility helps create a more inclusive experience. Here are key points to remember:
- High contrast and clear visuals: Use strong colour contrasts and large fonts for readability.
- Alternative text: Add alt text for images where relevant.
- Subtitles and captions: Use large, high-contrast subtitles to support viewers with partial sight.
- Consistent layout: Keep layouts simple and easy to navigate.
- Avoid rapid transitions: Ensure viewers have time to process both audio and visuals.
Review of Christmas ads
Since Christmas ads often lead the way in accessible advertising, we reviewed System1’s top 12 Christmas ads of 2023. For each, we assessed its accessibility, whether the brand name is mentioned audibly, and suggested ways those lacking accessibility could be improved.
The reviews specifically focus on whether the brand name was mentioned in the ad. Even if an ad cannot be made fully accessible for various reasons, the one thing that must be discernible to all viewers is the brand name.
Key takeaways from the review
- Accessibility must be considered at every stage of ad production, from the initial storyboard to post-production, to ensure an inclusive viewing experience for all.
- Brand recognition is critical for all viewers, and ads should always mention the brand audibly, especially for those who cannot rely on visual cues.
- Audio description is one of the most effective tools for making ads accessible, but many online platforms, including popular social media platforms, often fail to carry audio-described versions of TV ads.
- Embedding product information in the main dialogue ensures that critical messages are accessible to everyone, even in ads with fast-paced visuals.
- Early integration of accessibility allows for natural pauses in the narrative, ensuring space for audio description or additional contextual information.
Aldi’s Kevin and the Christmas Factory
Was the ad accessible for blind and partially sighted viewers? No, the narrative could not be understood by audio alone, and the fast pace made it impossible to add audio description.
Was the brand named in the voiceover? No.
How could this ad have been made accessible?
- Embed accessibility from the start: Ideally, accessibility should have been considered during production, allowing for the inclusion of natural pauses to insert audio description retrospectively.
- Alternative enhanced audio track: In cases where traditional audio description isn’t feasible, an enhanced audio track could be produced. This approach integrates short, vivid scene descriptions within the original voiceover, going over bits of dialogue from the original soundtrack to provide essential visual context without interrupting the flow of the ad. For example, phrases like “a snowy, brightly lit village sparkles in the background” or “Kevin smiles and gestures towards his friends” could be inserted. The enhanced track would replace the original soundtrack and delivered via the secondary audio channel used for audio description. This technique limits the audience to blind and partially sighted people who regularly have audio description turned on, on their TV.
Coca-Cola’s Holidays Are Coming 2023
Was the ad accessible for blind and partially sighted viewers? No, the ad relied heavily on visuals with minimal dialogue, making it inaccessible for blind and partially sighted viewers.
Was the brand named in the voiceover? No.
How could this ad have been made accessible?
- Audio description: The ad has enough space to incorporate vivid descriptions, such as, “Coca-Cola trucks light up the night sky as they roll into town,” enhancing the experience for those relying on audio.
Amazon’s Joy Ride
Was the ad accessible for blind and partially sighted viewers? Yes, Amazon’s “Joy Ride” ad was audio-described. However, the audio description was not added to the version distributed online, which was a missed opportunity.
Credit: Audio description was produced by ADTEXT
Was the brand named in the voiceover? No. This oversight could result in missed sales, as viewers may not have realised, they were watching an Amazon ad.
How could this ad have been made more accessible?
- Ensure audio description across platforms: Once described, content should carry the audio description track across all platforms. Online platforms often don’t support multiple audio tracks, so brands typically offer different versions with or without audio description. Properly tagging and making audio-described versions available would give people with sight loss the choice to find and watch them.
The Works
Was the ad accessible for blind and partially sighted viewers? No, the ad relied heavily on visual cues—children’s reactions—making it less accessible for blind viewers.
Was the brand named in the voiceover? Yes.
How could this ad have been made accessible?
- Audio description: There were enough pauses to add traditional audio description, which could describe children’s expressions and the featured gifts, making the ad more accessible.
M&S Food’s 2023 Christmas Ad
Was the ad accessible for blind and partially sighted viewers? No, while the soundtrack featured Christmas sounds and food preparation noises, the sound design alone was insufficient to understand the ad.
Was the brand named in the voiceover? Yes.
How could this ad have been made accessible?
- Consider accessibility from the start: Accessibility should be factored in during production, allowing for natural pauses to insert audio description later.
- Enhanced audio track: The team could have developed an enhanced audio track with scene descriptions, such as “a decadent roast turkey” and “a warmly lit kitchen,” making it more accessible for those using audio description. For details on enhanced audio tracks, see the section on Aldi.
Morrisons – Christmas Advert 2023
Was the ad accessible for blind and partially sighted viewers? Yes, the Morrisons ad was audio described. However, the audio description was not included in the version of the ad distributed online, which was a missed opportunity. Once content is audio described, the track should be carried across all platforms. With most online players unable to support multiple audio tracks, brands typically offer different versions with or without audio description. Since Christmas ads are often shared on social media, properly tagging and making audio-described versions available would allow people with sight loss the choice to find and watch them.
Was the brand named in the voiceover? Yes.
Barbour’s Shaun the Sheep x Baa-Bour
Was the ad accessible for blind and partially sighted audiences? No, the ad was not accessible. The ad relied heavily on visual gags, animations, and physical actions (like the sheep stitching the jacket). Without clear narration or sound design explicitly describing these actions, blind viewers missed important plot points. Even though the brand name was mentioned, as the product (Barbour jackets) wasn’t clearly described through audio, viewers may not have been aware of the brand’s role in the ad. For those relying on sound alone, details like the jacket repair were lost.
Was the brand named in the voiceover? Yes.
How could this ad have been made accessible?
- Audio description: There were enough pauses to add audio description. Adding descriptions to narrate key visual moments (e.g., “The sheep patch the farmer’s jacket poorly, but Barbour provides a perfect replacement”) could fit into the pauses.
Sky’s UK Christmas Ad 2023
Was the ad accessible for blind and partially sighted viewers? No. The ad relied on visual clips from iconic films like Back to the Future, Elf, Top Gun, and Ghostbusters. Without proper narration or audio description, blind and partially sighted viewers were unable to identify these key moments or understand the visual references, which were central to the ad’s nostalgic appeal.
Was the brand named in the voiceover? No.
How could this ad have been made accessible?
- Audio description: Adding narration to describe what is happening in each movie scene (e.g., which characters are on-screen and their actions). The nostalgia generated by these film references was lost on blind and partially sighted audiences without descriptive audio.
Lidl’s A Magical Christmas with Lidl
Was the ad accessible for blind and partially sighted audiences? No. The ad’s focus on a raccoon navigating the festive season, the child’s broken ornament, and the raccoon’s journey to replace it was highly visual, and without any audio description, it was hard to follow.
Was the brand named in the voiceover? Yes.
How could this ad have been made accessible?
- Audio description: To ensure blind and partially sighted viewers understood the storyline, an audio description track could have narrated key visual elements, such as:
“A raccoon watches from a window as a child plays with a monkey ornament, but the ornament falls and breaks.”
“The raccoon dodges obstacles in the snowy night and brings a toy monkey to the child.”
Describing the actions of characters like the raccoon and the child would provide the audience with full context of the unfolding story. - Key information in dialogue: For an initiative like the Toy Bank, it would have been useful to embed key information within the original soundtrack, making the ad’s message clearer to audio-only listeners. For instance, a character mentioning or explaining the Toy Bank during the action would have reinforced this call to action, making it accessible to everyone.
Disney’s A Wish for the Holidays
Was the ad accessible for blind and partially sighted viewers? No. This ad was particularly challenging to understand because it featured different languages, lots of text on screen, and a strong visual narrative. While the multilingual rendition of “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes” was an element that resonated with all audiences, it wasn’t enough to convey the full story or message of the ad.
Was the brand named in the voiceover? No.
How could this ad have been made accessible?
- Audio description: The ad would have benefited from narrating key visuals like different cultures celebrating, the connection to Disney’s Make-A-Wish foundation, and other important on-screen text.
Sainsbury’s This Christmas, One Little Girl Asks One BIG Question
Was the ad accessible for blind and partially sighted audiences? Yes!!! This ad is a perfect example of how ads can be made accessible without audio description. Even though every on-screen action wasn’t described, there was enough detail in the main audio track to understand the message and join in the Christmas celebrations. According to feedback from blind and partially sighted audiences, for ads that are only 30-45 seconds long, it’s important to prioritise key information in the audio track and make the audio track a complete story. This ad, regardless of where it was shown, was accessible for blind and partially sighted audiences.
Was the brand named in the voiceover? Yes.
Tesco’s Become More Christmas
Was the ad accessible for blind and partially sighted viewers? No. The ad was highly visual, with scenes like the dad transforming into a life-sized tree, the mum as a snowwoman, and the son’s emotional turning point when he sees the tree topper and begins to transform. The final moment when the dad hands over the tree topper to his son, completing the transformation, wasn’t made clear in the audio track.
Was the brand named in the voiceover? No.
How could this ad have been made accessible?
- Audio description: The ad could have been made accessible by narrating the key visual moments, such as:
“The dad grows pine needles from his sleeves and transforms into a Christmas tree, standing proudly with decorations covering him, while his embarrassed son looks away.”
“The son watches a video of a younger version of himself making a tree topper and starts to sprout pine needles from his sleeves.”
“The dad pulls out the tree topper and places it on his son’s head, completing his transformation into a Christmas tree.” - Embedding key information in dialogue: Reinforcing key moments through dialogue, such as the dad saving the tree topper, would have helped ensure that, if the ad were played on platforms without audio description, it would still make sense to blind and partially sighted viewers.
Vodafone’s Feel the Connection This Christmas
Was the ad accessible for blind and partially sighted viewers? No. This ad contained several important visual details that were not conveyed to viewers, such as the child setting up the wireless camera to catch Santa in the act, the festive decorations, and Santa’s arrival with his forearm waving into the camera lens.
Was the brand named in the voiceover? Yes.
How could this ad have been made accessible?
- Audio description: Adding narration to describe the visual elements (e.g., “A child carefully sets up a wireless camera, pointing it toward the Christmas tree and stocking-filled fireplace, hoping to catch a glimpse of Santa”).
- Embedding product information in dialogue: As this ad focused on a specific product, it would have been helpful to explain the wireless camera’s functionality through dialogue or narration, rather than relying solely on visual cues. For example, a line like “Let’s set up the Vodafone wireless camera to catch Santa!” would have highlighted the product for blind viewers.
Conclusion
- One of the 12 ads assessed in this article was accessible without any intervention: Sainsbury’s.
- Two were made accessible through audio description: Amazon and Morrisons.
- Nine of the top 12 ads were inaccessible, leaving blind and partially sighted people out of the Christmas spirit the brands tried to evoke.
- In six of the 12 ads, even the brand names were not mentioned in the voiceover, further limiting the engagement for those relying solely on audio.
Our review is based on information available from YouTube channels where the ads were uploaded. In cases where we were unable to find audio-described versions, we assumed the ads were not accessible unless confirmed otherwise by the audio description provider.
It’s crucial for brands to ensure that when ads are made available online, the audio-described versions are also uploaded, so all audiences can enjoy the experience.
October 2024
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For any questions regarding this review, please contact us at [email protected]