Project Understood
The future will be voice-first, but that future doesn’t include people with Down syndrome. Because they have atypical speech, Google’s voice assistant currently misunderstands one in every three words they speak. Introducing Project Understood, a campaign that turns people with Down syndrome into Google’s teachers, using their voices to train Google’s speech recognition model. Results: 826,107 organic reach on Facebook, with just $1,000 in media across 30+ countries, and 735 Down syndrome organisations have joined. Over one million phrases are being added to Google’s speech recognition database
- DigitalCreative Use of AI
- DigitalCreative Use of Technology
- ImpactDesign/Brands
- DirectDirect Response/Digital
Country
- Canada
Client
- Google AI
Production Company
- Fuelcontent
Chief Creative Officer
- Jeff Hilts
- Nancy Crimi-Lamanna
Worldwide Creative Partner
- Fred Levron
Associate Creative Director
- Michael Morelli
- Marty Hoefkes
- Elma Karabegovic
Copywriter
- Jason Soy
- Shannon McCarroll
Chief Strategy Officer
- Shelley Brown
Director of Strategy
- Eryn LeMesurier
- Shelagh Hartford
Strategy Coordinator
- Audrey Zink
EVP Managing Director
- Tracy Little
VP Managing Director
- Tim Welsh
Group Account Director
- Blake Connolly
Account Supervisor
- Olivia Selbie
Senior Producer
- Sarah Michener
Producer
- Kristine Lippett
VP Operations
- Shandi Horovitch
Project Manager
- Cori Pettit
Director of Product and Technology Solutions
- John Sime
Head of Global Innovation
- Kris Hoet
PR
- Shannon Stephaniuk
Director of Photography
- Scott Drucker
Camera Operator
- Chet Tilokani Tilokani
Photographer
- Cassidy Clemmer
Editing Company
- Outsider Editorial
Post Production Company
- Alter Ego
Music & Sound Company
- Grayson Matthews
Web Development
- Bliss Interactive
Advertising Agency
- FCB Canada
Audio Designer
- Nicolas Field
Hair & Make-Up Designer
- Neil Silverman
Speech Pathologist
- Amanda Cotton
The future will be voice-first, but that future doesn’t include people with Down syndrome. Because they have atypical speech, Google’s voice assistant currently misunderstands one in every three words they speak. Introducing Project Understood, a campaign that turns people with Down syndrome into Google’s teachers, using their voices to train Google’s speech recognition model. Results: 826,107 organic reach on Facebook, with just $1,000 in media across 30+ countries, and 735 Down syndrome organisations have joined. Over one million phrases are being added to Google’s speech recognition database
Comment from D&AD Community
It’s not only a creative use of technology, it’s also an important use of technology.
— Shula Sinclair, Global Head of Strategy, Spark Foundry
