The sooner autism is diagnosed, the better the outcome. Autism Speaks needed a fresh way to share this information with parents and get them to take action. So instead of just telling this to parents, we showed them, by rethinking the way multiple forms of media can be used to tell a story. Lifetime of Difference launched on April 28th to cap off Autism Awareness Month. It is a first-of-its-kind advertising experience that uses four seemingly separate ads from different brands to tell a single story. Our message: Learn the signs of autism, because early diagnosis can make a lifetime of difference.

For the digital integration of our idea, we used behavioral retargeted banner ads. This technology is primarily used to show Web users a product they previously viewed online, following them through the sales funnel. But we used it to show Web users each sequential chapter of our story in banner ads as they navigated from site to site. A final resolve frame encouraged users to view the story again in full on YouTube.

The Lifetime of Difference story was immediately picked up by the press, helping us further spread our message and raise awareness. The Wall Street Journal and Fast Company, as well as a number of industry websites, praised our innovative use of media to tell a story. Celebrities like Donald Trump and Yoko Ono talked about Lifetime of Difference on Twitter. After airing only once, Lifetime of Difference earned more than 20 million impressions in less than a week. It has even been adopted as an education tool by autism resource centers.