| While academics suggest that 1% of the population has a stammer, a 2018-2021 poll revealed that 2-4% of the population admitted they stammer, suggesting many may hide theirs rather than face reactions to it. This could be due to the startling absence of representation in everyday media- effectively driving a lack of recognition in everyday life. STAMMA wanted to create greater visibility and understanding within the public with the ‘It’s How We Talk’ campaign. By capturing people with a stammer mid-sentence and celebrating them, the association seeks to normalise stammering and encourage respect between us all. |
It's How We Talk
STAMMA challenges stammering misconceptions to increase representation
Client
- STAMMA
Office
- London
It’s estimated that between 1-5% of the population stammer; a similar segment of the population to those who identify as LGBTQ+ or have autism. However, due to disfluency of speech, people who stammer are less likely to be featured in the media and therefore have fewer people in the public eye to look up to. This means people who stammer not only lack cultural role models but leads to even fewer opportunities to share their lived experiences.
From jokes about poor internet connections or forgetting their name, to more serious accusations of being drunk, people who stammer often deal with ignorance. STAMMA exists to create space and support people who stammer/stutter across the UK. The belief that a stammer is simply another way people talk, is what drives their work; putting inclusivity, acceptance, and education at the heart of everything they do. So, we channel this into the work.
It’s How We Talk was developed to celebrate the stammering community and challenge misconceptions and ignorant comments. The film sees members of the community through a series of mid-sentence stills, showing their unique facial expressions while they speak. Accompanying these images, are the voices of six individuals who narrate what they, and countless others who stammer, hear on a daily basis when they speak.
The film gained an organic reach of 272.2K and garnered an engagement rate of 25.7% total across Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn, breaking records for STAMMA’s organically posted campaigns, while the PR reach was over 3 million. STAMMA puts emphasis on sentiment, and this film was incredibly positive with comments mentioning “This amazing charity is breaking down barriers about what it’s like to live with a stammer.” and “I have a stammer, but my stammer is not me”.
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Awards
The One Show 2023
Moving Image Editing, Moving Image Casting
Merit
Creative Circle Awards 2023
Best Design for Charity
Silver
Creative Circle Awards 2023
Best Charity Poster
Gold
Creative Circle Awards 2023
Best Film Editing, Best Low Budget Idea
Bronze
Clio Awards 2023
Film Craft Editing
Bronze
D&AD Awards 2023
Print and Outdoor
Graphite
D&AD Awards 2023
Casting Voice
Wood
ADC*E 2023
Outdoor for Non-Profit
Bronze
Press
This Campaign Beautifully Captures People Mid-Stammer to Erase Shame From the Condition
Adweek
Ad of the Day: ‘It’s How We Talk’ challenges misconceptions about stammeringThe Drum
Stamma campaign calls out misconceptions around stammeringCreative Review
VML shows the power of authentic portrayal with Stamma campaignBITE
Stamma "It's how we talk" by VML LondonCampaign
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