Title | STORYSIGN |
Brand | HUAWEI |
Product/Service | HUAWEI |
Category |
F03. Innovation & Solution |
Entrant
|
FCB INFERNO London, UNITED KINGDOM
|
Idea Creation
|
FCB INFERNO London, UNITED KINGDOM
|
Media Placement
|
WAVEMAKER London, UNITED KINGDOM
|
PR
|
FCB INFERNO London, UNITED KINGDOM
|
Production
|
DOG EAT DOG London, UNITED KINGDOM
|
Production 2
|
TENTHREE EDITING London, UNITED KINGDOM
|
Production 3
|
UNIT London, UNITED KINGDOM
|
Production 4
|
MCASSO London, UNITED KINGDOM
|
Production 5
|
AARDMAN ANIMATIONS Bristol, UNITED KINGDOM
|
Additional Company
|
HUAWEI London, UNITED KINGDOM
|
Credits
Owen Lee |
FCB Inferno |
Chief Creative Officer |
Fred Levron |
FCB |
Worldwide Creative Partner |
Martin McAllister |
FCB Inferno |
Creative Director |
Ben Usher |
FCB Inferno |
Senior Copywriter |
Rob Farren |
FCB Inferno |
Senior Art Director |
Bridie Scriven |
FCB Inferno |
Senior Creative Producer |
Livvy Tidd |
FCB Inferno |
Creative Producer |
Mike Jenkins |
FCB Inferno |
Head of Digital Delivery |
Hollie Loxley |
FCB Inferno |
Managing Partner |
Joe Pirrie |
FCB Inferno |
Business Director |
Hannah Thorn |
FCB Inferno |
Account Director |
CC Clark |
FCB Inferno |
EMEA Director of Communications |
Nikki Chapman |
FCB Inferno |
Director of Production |
Alison Cooper |
FCB Inferno |
Senior TV Producer |
Chris Baker |
FCB Inferno |
Head of Strategy |
Andrew Garrihy |
Huawei |
Chief Marketing Officer - Western Europe |
Avikar Jolly |
Huawei |
Campaign Director - Western Europe |
Louise Forbes |
Huawei |
Campaign Lead - Western Europe |
Jonathan Bunkall |
Huawei |
Head of Media - Western Europe |
Christopher Howett |
Huawei |
Digital Media Director - Western Europe |
Mark O'Sullivan |
Dog Eat Dog |
Executive Producer/Producer |
Harvey Ascott |
Dog Eat Dog |
Executive Producer/Producer |
Chris Overton |
Dog Eat Dog |
Director |
Dan Holland |
Dog Eat Dog |
Director Of Photography |
Stephen Dunne |
TenThree |
Editor |
Alec Eves |
UNIT Media |
VFX Artist |
Richard Atkinson |
Mcasso Music |
Composer |
Neil Pymer |
Aardman Animations |
Interactive Creative Director |
Hannah Richmond |
Aardman Animations |
Senior Interactive Producer |
Mark Burvill |
Aardman Animations |
Technical Director |
Russ Morris |
Aardman Animations |
Developer |
Sarah Matthews |
Aardman Animations |
Senior Interactive Designer |
Ashley Cornes |
Aardman Animations |
Interactive Production Co-ordinator |
Damian Barry |
British Deaf Association |
Executive Director |
Mark Wheatley |
European Union of the Deaf |
Executive Director |
Jamie Willard |
Wavemaker |
Client Partner |
Paterno Odong |
Wavemaker |
Activation Partner |
Anne Lenne |
Wavemaker |
Account Director |
Pierre Paoli |
Wavemaker |
Strategy Director |
Henna Emilia Tavi |
Wavemaker |
Digital Account Manager |
Andrew Hay |
Wavemaker |
Account Executive |
Background
Huawei, the world’s second largest smartphone manufacturer, challenged us to bring to life their brand promise – ‘push the limits of what is humanly possible.’ So we identified a human problem their technology could help solve.
There are 32 million deaf children in the world, and most of them struggle to read. This is because deaf children don’t learn to read like hearing children. They can’t learn phonetically, so they struggle to match words with sounds. This has a hugely negative impact on their education and their futures. In fact, research shows that it takes 21 years for deaf children to catch up with their hearing peers.
We agreed three key objectives:
• Use innovative mobile technology to open the world of books to deaf children
• Raise awareness of deaf literacy issues
• Improve Huawei brand perception
Describe the creative idea (40% of vote)
To change the story of deaf literacy we needed an idea that offered real change to a generation of deaf children using Huawei’s mobile technology.
We created the first global literacy platform for the deaf – StorySign. A ground-breaking free app, StorySign scans the words in children’s books and instantly translates them into sign language, using the most advanced signing avatar ever. This helps the world’s 32 million deaf children learn to read and sign with their families, which has a positive impact at school and on the rest of their lives.
Huawei AI makes the app faster and more accurate for our core audience, deaf children aged 0-5 (key for reading development) and their families. Available on Android and IOS, StorySign also brings to life Huawei’s promise to ‘push the limits of what is humanly possible’ to a broader global audience, by showing AI solving a truly human problem.
Describe the execution (40% of vote)
Executing StorySign took an alliance of world-class partners.
12 international deaf charities ensure StorySign is designed with the needs of deaf children at its heart.
Testing with families resulted in an innovative user experience. Hold your smartphone over the words in children’s books, and StorySign translates them into sign language. Words are highlighted in sign language order to reinforce that crucial link between words and signs.
Huawei’s Kirin AI chip means StorySign is more accurate, can read text at up to 45°, and works in low light for bedtime stories.
Oscar-winning Aardman Animations created ‘Star’, the most advanced signing avatar ever. Every detail appeals to deaf children, from her age (because children learn better from siblings), to her hearing aid (to destigmatise deafness).
Penguin Random House, the world’s leading publisher, are adding their huge library of books, so deaf children can enjoy the same stories as their hearing friends.
List the results (20% of vote)
“This technology can change the future of an entire generation.” Mark Wheatley, European Union of the Deaf.
StorySign has made such an impact in the deaf community and on Huawei’s brand that they are keeping the story going, with a $500K donation to deaf literacy projects and future expansion confirmed.
Results have exceeded every objective.
Use innovative mobile technology to open the world of books to deaf children:
•Available on Android and IOS
•Launched in 11 countries
•Supported by 12 international deaf charities
•69 books so far
•American Sign Language now available, which is used across the US, Canada, Africa, Asia and Central America
Raise awareness of deaf literacy issues:
•1.5bn+ global reach
•128m+ app film views
•1000+ pieces of international coverage
Improve Huawei brand perception:
•+19.9% within 2 months
Selected media reaction:
•Forbes: “A portal to a whole new world.”
•Wired: “AI translates kids’ books into sign language.”