There’s a phenomenon called Dinner Table Syndrome in which deaf people are perpetually left out of shared everyday conversations, like those that take place at family dinner tables.

Moments where people come together. Where people share and connect. Moments that a pack of Cadbury Fingers is made for.

But if, in these moments, everybody was just a bit better at using their fingers to communicate - that is, learn some British Sign Language - it could make a big difference.

As part of a wider objective to put Fingers at the heart of everyday family life, it was crucial to this campaign that the film felt like a real, authentic representation of the deaf community and British Sign Language.

So we worked with and heroed the deaf community throughout the campaign, in our 30” film and in all of our illustrated lessons - placing them front and centre - something

The Sign With Fingers Big & Small campaign structure was simple. First, we’d show why learning a bit of sign language can make a big difference. Then, we’d teach some BSL phrases to help actively make that difference.

Showing why learning a bit of sign language can make a big difference

‘Missing Out’ features Keira, a teenage deaf BSL user, signing to the camera about her day-to-day experience while her mum puts the shopping away in the kitchen.

Teaching some BSL phrases

We created little lessons consisting of illustrated animations of simple BSL phrases to make it easy for everybody to learn a few phrases. These popped up in relevant places and every animation directed to a fully accessible online hub, where users could learn more.

Our fingers are an important part of the way we communicate and connect in shared family moments - something we’d previously shown in a 2021 campaign called For Fingers Big & Small.

But there was something more meaningful, culturally significant & helpful that we could do with our Fingers. Because there is a group of people for whom fingers are fundamental to their communication with others: deaf British Sign Language (BSL) users.

In moments when everyone’s meant to be coming together, the moments Cadbury Fingers are made for, many deaf people are often inadvertently left out.

Members of the deaf community told us how positive it was when people make an effort to be more inclusive and learn some signs in BSL. So we asked ourselves If we (‘Fingers’) could encourage people to use their own fingers to learn sign language and make more people feel included, why wouldn't we?

In just 30 seconds, our film got hearing people to empathise with the deaf experience. The story centres on a teenager, Keira, who uses British Sign language to tell us how she feels left out. As she signs to us, we start to realise just how that feels when, to our surprise, the subtitles are obscured. The spot finishes powerfully with a call to help more deaf people feel included.

Partnering with the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS), we also made 20 illustrated lessons of simple BSL phrases, centred on the kinds of things people connect over. Every lesson directed to a fully-accessible hub, where users could learn more.

While film got the national conversation started, our cleverly targeted DOOH, social and digital ads popped up with little, relevant lessons in the real world.

A positive change in society:

Got people talking: 66% increase in Twitter conversation around BSL and appearing across national titles

Got people engaging: 20% increase in visits to our charity partner’s website and doubled Google search volume for BSL.

Convinced Brits of the positive impact of learning BSL: people were more likely to consider learning BSL (+20%) and to think it was important to learn BSL (+18%.)

Made a grassroots impact: As a result of our partnership, the number of families going through our charity partner’s family sign language course has more than doubled, from 60 to at least 140.

A positive change on the brand:

Combatted our brand salience decline: While in 2021, salience had declined significantly and was lagging behind our main competitors, we now lead the market.

Sold biscuits: Despite a challenging commercial environment, core Dairy Milk Fingers are in value sales growth of +5.6%.