Press release -
STAMMA calls out damaging misconceptions in poignant campaign
It’s How We Talk, created by VMLY&R, proudly celebrates the UK
stammering community ahead of International Stammering Awareness Day
STAMMA, the British Stammering Association, marks International Stammering Awareness Day on October 22nd with the launch of a new campaign highlighting the many misconceptions those with a stammer experience.
Through a stop motion film and a series of out-of-home executions, It’s How We Talk beautifully captures people with a stammer mid-sentence, celebrating each moment while also calling out damaging comments that countless people have endured.
Jane Powell, CEO, STAMMA said, “Our polling shows 59%1 of people are unable to name a character from TV or film who stammers - a startling absence of representation which drives lack of recognition in everyday life. This campaign intends to create greater visibility and understanding within the public. That stammering is just how some people talk”.
While academics working in the field suggest that around 1% of the population has a stammer, YouGov polling between 2018-2021 revealed that 2-4%2 of the population said that they stammer, suggesting many may hide theirs rather than face reactions to it.
It’s How We Talk, created by brand and customer experience agency VMLY&R London, features seventeen members of the UK stammering community. The film is voiced by six of the individuals photographed for the campaign - Betony, Bel, Christine, John, Pedro and Steven .
Known for his passion to tell human stories, the campaign was captured by acclaimed portrait photographer, David Vintiner, who is regularly commissioned by high profile editorial clients including GQ and Esquire, as well as being exhibited in the National Portrait Gallery.
“It was such a joy to photograph a no holds barred, front-on presentation of people mid-stammer. Non-stammerers often don’t know how to react or where to look when a stammerer is speaking. I hope these portraits make people stop and not look away,” commented David Vintiner. “There’s a great deal of beauty in the moment, in someone speaking with a stammer."
The film was produced by Sticker Studios, directed by Daniel Liakh, and edited by Beth Roberts at Nomad. Yellow Boat music handled the sound design and composition.
“Stills campaigns can be difficult to bring to life, so choosing the moments that conveyed the true reality of speaking with a stammer was key to creating a piece that felt natural, authentic, and engaging. It was important to show the emotion and personality of everyone, giving them the time and space to tell their story,” said Beth Roberts, editor, Nomad.
“Some people see stammering as beautiful, others as something ugly and worth fixing. Regardless of what you think about this campaign, the fact remains – it’s just how some people talk. Deal with it.” added Daniel Liakh, director & creative, VMLY&R London
The film will run across STAMMA’s owned channels while the Out-of-Home campaign is running in partnership with JCDecaux UK, reaching audiences via digital 6-sheet screens in locations across the country.
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1 STAMMA YouGov Poll 13/10/22 https://bit.ly/STAMMA_YouGov22
2 https://stamma.org/news-features/how-many-adults-stammer
Enquiries:
Billi Hatfield, Senior Marketing Manager
billi.hatfield@vmlyr.com
07703 815405
Credits
Client: STAMMA
CEO: Jane Powell
Agency: VMLY&R
Production: Germaine Walker
Photographer: David Vintiner
Executive Producer: Germaine Walker
Producer: Tracy Westcott
Film Production: Sticker Studios
Director: Daniel Liakh
Executive Producer: Harleymoon Kemp
Producer: Viviana Cerquera
Post-production: Nomad
Editor: Beth Roberts
Post Producer: Ellen OReilly
Retouching: Stanley’s Post
Retoucher: Tash Parsons
Producer: Paul Stokoe
Sound: Yellow Boat Music
Composer: Philip Jewson
Producer: Paul Cartledge
About VMLY&R:
VMLY&R is a global brand and customer experience agency that harnesses creativity, technology, and culture to create connected brands. Named a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Global Marketing Agencies for five consecutive years, VMLY&R is made up of more than 13,000 employees worldwide with principal offices in Kansas City, New York, Detroit, London, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore and Sydney. The agency is behind award-winning campaigns for blue chip client partners including Colgate-Palmolive, Danone, Dell, Ford, Intel, New Balance, Pfizer and Wendy's. For more information, visit www.vmlyr.com. VMLY&R is a WPP company (NYSE: WPP).
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STAMMA Our Purpose
We exist to create a world that makes space for stammering. Where it's embraced as just a difference. Where no-one judges your stammer or the way you choose to deal with it. We’ll get there by bringing people together, whether they stammer or not, to propel a movement for change.
We will stand up for and embolden those who stammer, provide support and information, and challenge discrimination wherever we find it. We’ll fight for NHS speech and language therapy services for those want it. No matter how you talk, we're here for you.
Join us and help the public understand that stammering is not a sign of being drunk, dishonest, nervous or weak. It’s simply how some of us talk.
We offer support, information, advice, and resources to those who stammer and their families as well as educators, employers and speech and language therapists. Founded in 1978, The British Stammering Association began trading as STAMMA in 2019. For more information visit Stamma.org. Registered Charity numbers 1089967 / SC038866.
