Something Different Kicks Off Charter Communication’s Spectrum Access Brand Campaign

Something Different kicks off a new brand campaign for Charter Communications, Inc. with a dramatic commercial showcasing Spectrum Access, the cable operator’s free app to provide entertainment access to persons with vision or hearing impairments.

The spot – the first of four commercials for Charter, each focusing on a single solution to a real customer problem – is called 'Desert.' It begins as a visionary movie, but turns out to be a glimpse into the imagination of a visually impaired woman as she uses the Spectrum Access app’s audio description feature, to enjoy a movie with a friend.

“There has never been a more important time for brands to be empathetic, and there are a lot of brands out there talking the talk, but Charter is actually living it,” said Richard Ryan, Something Different’s creative director. “This product is a perfect example of that. The spot is essentially a product demo, but it's very powerful because it's seen from inside the mind of a young woman. By creating thoughtful solutions to everyday predicaments, Charter made it very easy for us to tell four fun stories of how the right products can make our lives so much more enjoyable."

'Desert' opens with a sweeping desert panorama shot in a unique and intriguing visual style. A man climbs to the top of a dune, and watches a car speed across the landscape, while behind him a band of armored vehicles waits to spring a trap. The film then cuts to a visually impaired woman, captivated by the movie, and it turns out the previous scene was how she saw it in her imagination, with the help of audio description. Her friend returns with snacks, and a voiceover introduces the Spectrum Access app, which ensures “nobody misses a thing” by providing multiplatform access to audio description for more than 400 On Demand movies.

Spectrum Access was created by Charter’s Accessibility Center of Excellence team, which is focused on developing inclusive products and services for Charter’s Spectrum brand of TV, broadband, voice and mobile products. According to The Return on Disability Group, over 1.3 billion people – 17% of the global population – are estimated to experience some form of disability with an additional 2.4 billion caregivers, friends and family who are impacted. The free app is currently available for iOS devices from the Apple App Store.

Something Different’s new campaign positions Charter as a leading technology company, using impactful and beautifully-crafted commercials to tell personal stories about the cable provider’s innovative solutions to the dilemmas of everyday life.

All four spots take an entertaining look at a range of the company’s Spectrum products and services, with each film finding a unique way to illustrate a specific, relatable issue – and to show how its technology can deal with it. Whether it is managing kids’ internet access, maintaining security, finding smart technology that is actually smart, or helping a visually impaired person to enjoy a movie with a friend, Spectrum has a solution.

The campaign was directed by Noam Murro through Biscuit Filmworks, who navigated the whole filming process through the tough challenges of Covid-19 restrictions. “Working in Covid was really restricting in the beginning,” he said. “And while I think we all miss the wonders of the close physical camaraderie, we have learned the tricks of efficiency and communication.”

As for this specific commercial, Noam added: “When I read the script for the first time it got me really emotional. I think the beauty of this wonderful service that Charter offers, and the beauty of this specific script, lies in taking the word disabled and completely diffusing it. It’s different but abled. This is celebrating the human spirit. It reminded me of one of the greatest quotes I’ve ever read, where J.D. Salinger explains that Beethoven wasn’t disabled, he was unencumbered by a sense of hearing.”

More information about Charter and the Spectrum Access App is available at www.spectrum.com/spectrumaccess.