Problem Solved: Xtraordinary Driving School for Brazil's Intellectually Disabled

It’s a little known fact that in Brazil, at the time of ideation of this campaign, only two people with down syndrome in a country of 74 million drivers, had a license. The team at Localiza decided to get to work with the mutual goal of creating inclusive mobility. What started out as an advertising campaign would morph into something far greater than anyone's expectations; it would become a movement.

The team involved take us through the process from creative ignition, to society-altering outcomes.

THE PROBLEM

Back when Localiza were undergoing a rebrand, they set their sights on trying to make a difference that was meaningful. They wanted to help people ‘get there’ - wherever ‘there’ might be. It was whilst Rui Tofani was having a conversation with a friend from the down syndrome community that they decided to dig deeper into the issue. It turned out that mobility was nowhere near as inclusive as they might have imagined. After partnering with the Mano Down institute, their research revealed that most of the time, not even the families of those with intellectual disabilities knew that they were able to obtain a license.

Shocked at the numbers they discovered, they decided it was time to get to work, Dan Zecchinelli tells us.

They created a two-pronged plan of attack of the project:

1) Society need to be educated

2) Individuals with intellectual disabilities would need to be supported correctly 

“We needed to use our platform to not only make these individuals aware that they could get their driver's license, but actually help them achieve it,” said Giovanna Bayara.

IDEATION

The first step was partnering with the Mano Down institute. The team wanted to make sure that they were approaching this problem correctly and being advised by those closest to the issue. Through the institute they met a young woman by the name of Laura Simões - Laura was one of only two known individuals with down syndrome carrying a driver's license. Through listening to her story and experience, they began brainstorming what the next steps might be to help assist with the issue at hand.

Initial thoughts were about encouraging the families of people with intellectual disabilities to assist them in getting their licenses. This was soon followed by the idea of creating exclusive driving schools, but they realized this might lead to the kind of exclusionary set-up they had been trying to avoid. This was the beginning of the idea for a driving school. They wanted to turn storytelling into story-doing.

For the team, all inspiration came back to Laura. Ever since she was a kid she loved the feeling of wind on her face and hair; she always dreamed of driving a car. She got a lot of support from her parents and after three attempts, passed the test. They wanted to create a video that would be not only real, but hopeful. They wanted to ensure, however, that it wasn’t naively optimistic, because the process itself can be challenging for anyone. The Xtraordinary Driving School was created with the goal of sponsoring 30 of Brazil’s locals to pass their driving test.

PROTOTYPE & DESIGN

The most difficult part of the process was having everything ready to launch on World Down Syndrome Day. Given that the campaign was not limited to individuals with down syndrome, but all intellectual disabilities, the team had to ensure that their structures were prepared to receive enrollments from all over a country that has truly continental dimensions.

Given traffic is very complicated in Brazil, especially in urban centers, the team were worried about prejudice and possible backlash online. However, it turned out that the campaign had a momentous 98% of positive sentiment. 

The campaign and driving school would become service design at its core. Working closely with the Mano Down institute would become vital in ensuring success with the tone of the campaign. “One of the most important things we learned is: instructors should encourage and treat their new students just like any other. We also had many intellectually disabled influencers joining the campaign and spreading the word. Even a Brazilian senator, who has a daughter with Down Syndrome, joined and reposted our video. By the way, she also applied to the school.”

Keeping the interests of potential drivers at the heart of the campaign meant having constant touchpoints to validate the team's decisions. They would listen intently to feedback and change their plans every time they weren’t the best available option. Giovanna Bayara told us, “this was a very intense exercise in adapting and iterating to reach the ideal outcome.” 

LIVE

“The reception was amazing. Lots of emotion, lots of courage, and lots of hope involved in the reactions.” There were almost 40 different versions of the final film, but the end result turned out different to what the team had imagined.

The result was a credit to everyone involved: the wonderfully talented Gonzo Llorente and the folks at Modernista Creative Producers; Flavio Guerra and the folks at Oitava Sound Producers; Paulo Emilio and the gang at Brokolis Productions; Marco Mendes and Marcio Rodrigues from Lumini Photography. The project was the definition of the beautiful things that can come from collective effort.

The first class at the Xtraordinary Driving School was filled less than 24 hours after the project launched; with over 150 students enrolled. The team are now moving forward with their sponsorship of 30 aspiring drivers, many of whom have already passed the psycho-technical tests and have begun their theoretical lessons. “They are as excited as we are!”

Given the nature of the project, the team did expect a level of involvement from those around them; “what we didn't expect was the level of commitment from every stakeholder. Suddenly it wasn’t an advertising project anymore: it was a cause. It was not only the perfect example to showcase the company’s rebranding but also motivated and inspired society to join the cause of creating inclusive mobility.”