People with Down’s Syndrome can be part of society and actively contribute to its development.The Coordown organisation campaigns for the integration of people with Down’s Syndrome into society and, in particular, the work environment.On the 21st of March, on World Down Syndrome Day, we promoted this in an exceptional way.

On that day, alternative versions of the commercials of some of the most well-known national and international brands (Illy Coffee, Averna Liqueur, Cartasi Credit card, Toyota, Pampers) were broadcast on TV. During filming, we had shot alternative scenes in which the original actor was substituted by an actor with Down’s Syndrome. These alternative versions appeared 334 times that day.The same happened with print campaigns (by Enel, Carrefour, Toyota) scheduled on the main national Italian newspapers. And in the same vein, on the 21st of March, people with Down’s Syndrome appeared in some of the most famous Italian television programmes, replacing the usual stars.The operation attracted the attention of all the national media, including tv, newspapers, magazines, radios, social media and blogs and, on the following days it opened a debate all around the country. We generated the equivalent of nearly €5.5m worth of coverage and we reached around 18m people, a third of the Italian population. And, most important of all, in the week following the communication event, enquiries to CoorDown from companies interested in integrating people with Downs Syndrome into their organisations went up 600%.

The goal of the campaign was to take full advantage of World Down’s Syndrome Day to attract the attention of the public to the importance of integrating people with Down’s Syndrome into society. In particular, our target was made up of all those companies in the country that could offer them a job opportunity. By ensuring people with Down’s Syndrome have a higher level of self-sufficiency would mean, ensuring a more serene future especially when, once they reach a certain age, there might be no relative capable of helping them out.

On the 20th March we invited journalists to a press conference where the communication project that would take place 'silently' the next day on TV and in the main Italian newspapers was anticipated.

On the 21st of March, on World Down Syndrome Day, alternative versions of the commercials of some of the most well-known national and international brands (Illy Coffee, Averna Liqueur, Cartasi Credit card, Toyota, Pampers) were broadcast on TV. During filming, we had shot alternative scenes in which the original actor was substituted by an actor with Down’s Syndrome. These alternative versions appeared 334 times that day.

The same happened with print campaigns (by Enel, Carrefour, Toyota) scheduled on the main national Italian newspapers.

And in the same vein, on the 21st of March, people with Down’s Syndrome appeared in some of the most famous Italian television programmes, replacing the usual stars.

The operation attracted the attention of all the national media, including TV, newspapers, magazines, radios, social media and blogs and, on the following days, it opened a debate all around the country.We generated the equivalent of nearly €5.5m worth of coverage and we reached around 18m people, a third of the Italian population.

And, most important of all, in the week following the communication event, enquiries to Coordown from companies interested in integrating people with Downs Syndrome into their organisations went up 600%.

The most effective way to communicate something is to not say it, but actually do it. This was the philosophy on which our campaign was based. Therefore we decided to realise in our own way an exceptional though substantial example of the kind of integration we wanted to promote.

Coordown has always been promoting social awareness campaigns in Italy, with the purpose of giving information about the real capabilities of people with Down’s Syndrome, thus helping them to be fully integrated, especially into the work environment. Unfortunately there is still too much prejudice towards them, not allowing most of them to reach a satisfactory level of self-sufficiency so as to give an active contribution to society.