THE CHALLENGE
Halloween is such an exciting time for kids. Dressing up, going door to door, and… well… chocolate! During Halloween, communication can pose challenges for the deaf community. Masks hinder lip-reading, and there are often few users of British Sign Language (BSL) around. As a result, children may feel excluded from the festivities, leading parents to worry that their child(ren) are missing out on the celebrations. As part of its continued commitment to the Sign With Fingers initiative—aimed at encouraging everyone to learn some basic BSL)—Cadbury Fingers sought to highlight the significance of even a small understanding of BSL for deaf children across the nation.

THE STRATEGY
We offered influencer Tilly and her daughter, Ada – who is profoundly deaf and communicates in BSL – the chance to go trick or treating. It would be Ada’s first time ever! To make this a wonderful experience for Ada, her neighbours were sent goodie bags ahead of time, helping them to learn key BSL phrases. Neighbours’ houses were decorated to add even more Halloween fun to Ada’s evening, and the residents didn’t just hand out sweets, they met Ada through signed greetings and heartfelt moments of connection. Our strategy was simple: make sure everyone feels included, and let the pure joy of togetherness speak for itself.

THE CREATIVE
The excitement on Ada’s face at each stage of the evening was wonderful – getting her costume on, her face being painted, heading out, and being greeted at each house with BSL… we defy anyone to not get misty-eyed. Hearing from mum that she’s never been confident to take Ada trick or treating before, as she worries about the experience she would have as a deaf child, really hits home. To then be able to witness the inclusion on Ada’s first time, was quite something. It’s not often we get to experience such authentic joy from a child and her mum, and we were humbled and privileged to be a part of it.