Take the more than just clothes pledge with Vanish

Vanish, the clothing care brand committed to helping clothes live longer, is calling on the public to take The More Than Just Clothes Pledge as part of a new project, More Than Just Clothes, launching at the beginning of World Autism Acceptance Month. 

Led by the insight that 70% of autistic people think their lives would improve if people understood why clothes matter, the project is designed to drive behavioural change by deepening the public’s understanding of why clothes matter to autistic people and showing how we can all help. 

For many autistic people, clothes are more than just clothes; they can help with sensory regulation, provide routine, acceptance, and comfort. This means that for many autistic people right now, the rules, restrictions and expectations that are placed on clothes, do not take into consideration their needs. In turn, creating additional barriers that can make life more challenging. For example, 56% of autistic young people have said that going to school is a daily challenge because of the school uniform and 1 in 31  autistic people have decided not to apply for a job because of a mandatory workplace uniform. 

The project introduces The More Than Just Clothes Pledge, which engages and equips the general public and key decision-makers in schools, businesses, sports clubs and event venues with the information they need to support the clothing needs of autistic people. Sitting across the Ambitious about Autism’s website, the pledge asks people to recognise that clothes matter to many autistic people, by remembering JUST – J: Leave Judgement out of clothing. U: Understand the clothing needs of autistic people. S: See clothes as Sensory tools. T: Help everyone Thrive by feeling empowered to wear clothes they’re comfortable in.  

The pledge is supported by The More Than Just Clothes Pledge Book an online educational tool based on autistic people's stories and experiences, which provides more information about the importance of clothing and inclusive approaches to clothing. A social toolkit is also available for those who have signed the pledge, including posters and a ‘badge’ which can be shared across social channels to encourage others to join.   

To drive further awareness of the pledge, Vanish is partnering with Christine McGuinness for a second year, along with a selection of micro-influencers from key areas where change is needed the most; schools, businesses and sports. Each will produce social posts for their channels, encouraging the public to sign up to the pledge. Havas London worked alongside One Green Bean to bring this partnership to life.

The project launches with two 60-second documentary films which tell the stories of two autistic teens, Cozzie and Lani, in their own words. To bring to life their own personal and visceral relationship with an item of clothing, the films use animation to represent how each girl feels when they wear their favourite garment. In the second year of the partnership between Vanish and Ambitious about Autism, both films aim to elevate more voices and tell more stories, as no two autistic people’s experiences are the same.  

Havas London partnered with directing duo the Tubby Brothers (through Tubby Brother Films), and animation director Jeanette Nørgaard to create the films which sit across Goodloop and YouTube. 

Kate Pozzi, Creative Director, Havas London said: “We’re so proud to work with Vanish and Ambitious about Autism for the second year running. The ‘More Than Just Clothes’ project shines a light on autistic girls’ stories, in their own words. Cozzie and Lani share beautifully why their clothes matter, and how they help them. We hope the Pledge and remembering J-U-S-T will empower everyone to be better allies to the autistic community, go on a learning journey, and think about allowances we could all make around clothing.  This is a resource that neurotypical and neurodiverse people alike can lean on, and use in life.”

Elise Cockley, Marketing Director UKI, Reckitt, added: “The More Than Just Clothes project aims to highlight the importance of clothes in the daily life of autistic teens by showcasing the power of their favourite garment. As a brand focused on driving clothing longevity, we aim to deliver the best laundry care to everyone, especially to communities to whom making clothes live longer really matters. With our creative and charity partners, we are so excited to share stories of two autistic girls, in their words, to make the clothing needs of autistic people be seen and heard in discourse, while encouraging everyone to become an ally and advocate to champion change.”

Jolanta Lasota, Chief Executive of Ambitious about Autism, said: “We’re thrilled to be continuing our award-winning partnership with Vanish to drive more acceptance and understanding of autism, particularly around the important role that clothing plays in the lives of many autistic young people. Our project is focused on autistic young people’s authentic stories and together with the pledge we hope to change attitudes, increase knowledge and make the world a more accepting place for autistic people.” 

In 2023, Vanish launched the Channel 4 Diversity in Advertising Award-winning campaign, Me, My Autism and I, created by Havas London in partnership with Ambitious about Autism. It aimed to broaden the public understanding of autism – particularly in girls, who are three times less likely to receive a diagnosis than boys. Building on this momentum, the More Than Just Clothes project looks to continue the conversation around autism, whilst also driving much-needed behavioural change within society, to positively impact the lives of autistic people.   

Alongside the project, Vanish is making a donation of £60,000 to Ambitious about Autism, which will support the charity’s mission to create a world where autistic young people can be themselves and realise their ambitions. 

The world is changing, attitudes are changing around neurodiversity.

Havas enlisted Ben and Dan Tubby, The Tubby Brothers, to create these sensitive films with the important message about neurodiversity: the need for the world to change to fit autistic people rather than them having to adapt to a neurotypical world. Ben and Dan Tubby are known for their award winning documentary craft, and were the agency's first choice to handle this delicate project.

The main characters are Lani and Cozzie, both autistic teens. An enormous amount of care and planning went into the casting process. For the directors, the art of casting was about making friends, gaining trust and finding the perfect balance of stories, diversity, backgrounds and personalities who are also comfortable on camera .

Working closely with casting director, Shakyra Dowling, who herself has an autistic daughter, enabled Ben and Dan to tap into non-traditional sources to find the children who are real people with real stories.