Ad of the Day: Comcast Shows How a 7-Year-Old Girl Who Is Blind Imagines The Wizard of Oz

Here's an ad that should be a show-stopper during the Oscars on Sunday night. The beautiful 60-second spot from Comcast tells the story of Emily, a 7-year-old girl who was born blind. Comcast asked Emily to describe what she sees in her mind's eye when she watches The Wizard of Oz—and then the company built that version for her, using skilled set and puppet designers and makeup artists. The ad goes on to explain that people with visual disabilities can get more out of watching TV with Comcast's "talking guide." Developed by the Comcast Accessibility Lab, it includes voice guidance and one-touch access to closed captioning—and is part of Comcast's commitment to helping people with disabilities enjoy entertainment. Two-time Academy Award winner Robert Redford delivers the voiceover at the end. The spot, which alone is a wonderful mix of palpable emotion and impeccable craft, is supported by lots of online materials that show the whole backstory. There are videos introducing Emily, showing her describe her Oz in much greater detail, and highlighting the craftsmanship that went into building the physical manifestation of what she imagines. The website, EmilysOz.com, developed by agency Huge, also offers more information about the technology behind Comcast's accessibility services. All in all, it's one of the more beautiful campaigns of the year so far. "We want to create opportunities for people who love film and television but who might not have the opportunity to experience it to its fullest," said Tom Wlodkowski, Comcast's vice president of audience, who has been focusing on the usability of the company's products and services for people with disabilities. "By bringing the talking guide to as many people as possible, we can help to bridge that gap and make entertainment just as compelling, captivating and fun for people with a visual disability as it is for anyone else." It's also a major creative triumph for the agency. "We're really proud of this one," said Paul Caiozzo, executive creative director of Goodby, Silverstein & Partners in New York. "It's the first big national spot to come from this office, and it's great to have this work debut on a big stage like the Oscars. It's a beautiful moment for GS&P New York." He added: "It's not often you get to do something that feels meaningful on a level far beyond advertising. It definitely shows how entertainment truly is for everyone." See the supporting videos below: CREDITS Client: Comcast/Xfnity Senior Director, Brand Strategy and Communications: Sherri Davis Campaign: "Emily's Oz" Campaign Website: http://emilysoz.com Agency: Goodby Silverstein & Partners, New York Creative Co-Chairmen: Jeff Goodby, Rich Silverstein Executive Creative Director: Paul Caiozzo Creative Director: Nathan Frank Art Directors: Michael Hagos, Peter Jostrand Copywriters: Josh Chua, Sam Dolphin Account Services Managing Director: Nancy Reyes Account Manager: Laura McWhorter Assistant Account Manager: Nate Baker Brand and Communication Strategy Group Brand Strategy Director: Conner Huber Brand Strategist: Jane Jun Business Affairs Senior Business Affairs Manager: Judy Ybarra Production Director of Broadcast Production: Tod Puckett Executive Broadcast Producer: James Horner Broadcast Producer: Tess Kenner Assistant Broadcast Producer: Charlotte Dugoni Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks Director: Andreas Nilsson Director of Photography: Matty Libatique Production Designer: KK Barrett Managing Director: Shawn Lacy Executive Producer: Colleen O'Donnell Line Producer: Emily Skinner Editing, Finishing: Rock Paper Scissors Editor: Paul Watts Assistant Editors: Christian Oreste, Rhys Hecox Executive Producer: Eve Kornblum Producers: Jenny Greenfield, Jen Milano Visual Effects: A52 Lead Flame Artist: Stefan Gaillot Computer Graphics Supervisor: Kirk Shintani 2-D Visual Effects Artists: Stefan Gaillot, Matt Sousa, Andy Bate, Enid Dalkoff, Steve Wolf, Tiffany Germann 3-D Artists: Jose Limon, Joe Paniagua, Jon Balcome, Christian Sanchez, Adam Carter, Paulo Mauro, Vivian Su Producer: Scott Boyajan Executive Producers: Patrick Nugent, Jennifer Sofio Hall Telecine: Company 3 Colorists: Tim Masick, Rob Sciarratta Executive Producer: Angela Lupo Color Producer: Rochelle Brown Mix: Heard City Sound Engineers: Keith Reynaud, Jeremy Siegel Managing Director: Gloria Pitagorsky Senior Producer: Sasha Awn Sound Design: Jafbox Sound Sound Designer: Joseph Fraioli End Treatment Graphics: Elevel Post Animator: Jessica Gibson Executive Producer: PJ Koll Producer: Samantha Liss —Behind-the-Scenes Documentaries Director: Cassie Jaye Directors of Photography: Margaret Parus, Sertac Yildizhan Editing Company: Main Documentary Production Company: Rock Paper Scissors Editor: Parker Whipple Producers: Jenny Greenfield, Jen Milano Editing Company: Mini Documentaries Production Company: Elevel (Goodby, Silverstein & Partners) Editor: Graham Willcox Assistant Editor: Lori Arden Producers: Carley Ridgway, Samantha Liss

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Ad of the Day: Comcast Shows How a 7-Year-Old Girl Who Is Blind Imagines The Wizard of Oz

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