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Vanish Supporting Autism Advert

213 replies

Tealsofa · 09/04/2023 15:15

I don't normally watch terrestrial TV, but watching the voyage of the dawn treader on C4, and the advert for vanish keeps coming up.

It looks like a deep meaningful maybe a charity or awareness advert, and then it's "vanish" a cleaning product

My ds (autistic) was also wtf about it

OP posts:
thegrain · 10/04/2023 08:38

lollipoprainbow · 10/04/2023 08:37

As the mum of an autistic dd I'm glad it's being highlighted. There needs to be more representation on tv. Why don't the soaps have it as a storyline ??

Because they'd not know what to do with it. The character would be one of those that comes in for a few months and then goes. It would be crap.

lollipoprainbow · 10/04/2023 08:39

Turquoisesilver · 10/04/2023 08:37

I do have some idea, @user1471530109

It doesn’t make it an easy or pleasant way to live, and while it may be an uncomfortable fact to acknowledge on a site that has very heavy traffic from parents of children with autism and with autism themselves it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be acknowledged.

It's not an easy or pleasant life to live it's hell. People have now idea unless they have experienced it for themselves.

kittensinthekitchen · 10/04/2023 08:39

I really like it, as does my autistic daughter.

It shows the number of small triggers that add up during the day, the amount of masking she does, and the way that girls meltdowns don't always present the same way boys' do.

Couldn't actually care less what they were advertising, but the awareness is appreciated.

YouMadeABear · 10/04/2023 08:39

I loved it, I sobbed like a baby. It's accurate for us; for my autistic 10yo DD and for my younger 7yo DD who has to survive our family.

kittensinthekitchen · 10/04/2023 08:40

lollipoprainbow · 10/04/2023 08:37

As the mum of an autistic dd I'm glad it's being highlighted. There needs to be more representation on tv. Why don't the soaps have it as a storyline ??

There's an autistic young woman on Hollyoaks.

lollipoprainbow · 10/04/2023 08:40

@thegrain why not the child of a long standing family that's already on there as opposed to a new character?

VegetableGyoza · 10/04/2023 08:41

@Turquoisesilver but that is the point of the advert. Yes it is very hard (I would say traumatic) for the whole family. Society doesn’t support, understand or adapt for autistic people. Girls especially are often late diagnosed because of the prejudices and stereotypes about autism.

Turquoisesilver · 10/04/2023 08:43

Possibly @user1471530109 but while it may raise awareness, the sister was put in the role of being the ‘baddie’ or the villain in the piece. I do know what you mean and I think it was intended to be more nuanced than that but I don’t know if that came across as successfully as they wanted it to.

I think if you were watching that with a child with autism, or as someone with autism, you would be more likely to take away that the sister has to adapt - can’t chat to her friend in the car, has to live with crashing drums - and really that’s no big deal compared to the suffering of the sister. I think many with little to no experience with autism may think of the sister as the real victim in all of it.

There are no easy answers and I know that’s sort of the point, but it’s pretty bleak for everyone, isn’t it? And I do think the point was for us to sympathise with the girl with autism (vanish can help her, not her sister, after all.)

It was well acted though. Perhaps too well acted, as people say, a bit close to the bone!

FrancescaContini · 10/04/2023 08:46

I also saw this recently and was equally “WTF was that?” My DC saw it too. It was obvious to us that Vanish are cynically jumping on the bandwagon of appearing to care about a particular issue in the same way that Starbucks did/do with “trans” teenagers.

Stick to what you know, Vanish. If I want to know about autism, I’ll consult the people who have experience and knowledge of the subject.

user1471530109 · 10/04/2023 08:47

I disagree @Turquoisesilver . My youngest DD doesn't agree with you either. It was very much 'wow! That's just what it's like'. She feels seen.
I also don't think the sister in the advert is supposed to be the villain in any way. You are supposed to feel for her. She lives a very difficult life and there is little to no support for the siblings. Again. All awareness.

Wedoronron · 10/04/2023 08:47

My DS is autistic and he masks a lot, it rang so many bells. My middle DS really adapts and understands hsi brothers needs it rang true. I loved it. Obviously annoying that it is an advert however it wouldn't get the airtime any other way.

kittensinthekitchen · 10/04/2023 08:52

FrancescaContini · 10/04/2023 08:46

I also saw this recently and was equally “WTF was that?” My DC saw it too. It was obvious to us that Vanish are cynically jumping on the bandwagon of appearing to care about a particular issue in the same way that Starbucks did/do with “trans” teenagers.

Stick to what you know, Vanish. If I want to know about autism, I’ll consult the people who have experience and knowledge of the subject.

Consult those with knowledge and experience? Like Vanish did?

The advert is 'acted' by an autistic girl and her real friends and family.

VegetableGyoza · 10/04/2023 08:52

I meant to say an autistic girl not an autistic

Moredarkchocolateplease · 10/04/2023 09:01

I've just watched it, floods of tears. DS13 is autistic and whilst his behaviours are not the same as the girl in the ad, the motivations behind those behaviours are similar. Especially the dragging of feet in the morning and then being ready to go out the door at the exact minute we need to 😁

Ironically our current battle with DS is washing his clothes, he wants to wear them as long as possible so they are comfy and worn in. I already use the tumble dryer to make them soft, I am considering using fabric softener which I hate and washing his clothes separately.

So the ad works for me. If it shows just a little bit of how difficult family life can be to people who wouldn't normally know as they don't have that experience.

I also have an autistic neice who is very far from the girl on the ad, and I know that my nieces family life is horrific by comparison.

This stuff all helps I think.

Turquoisesilver · 10/04/2023 09:02

I don’t think we are disagreeing so much as our sympathies perhaps lying in different places, @user1471530109 . One of the big problems with growing up alongside a disability is that the disability takes absolute priority, 24/7, and in cases like this, and especially where the sibling is a girl, it can set up a sort of pattern for life that can be very difficult to get out of.

As I say, I don’t have any easy answers here, but I do think it’s telling that as soon as someone says something along the lines of ‘wow that poor girl’ (meaning the sister) they are told not to.

AmericasfavoritefightingFrenchman · 10/04/2023 09:08

Interesting… I might cut vanish a little more slack if their product had ever worked on the clothes my DC have ‘ruined’.

I can imagine that the campaign is coming from a well-intentioned place, and the awareness-raising is valuable, but the ‘vanish fixed it’ happy ending is so trite. Vanish barely touched the sides of all the stuff going on for that family. They also preface it with a note about the awards they’ve won for diversity in advertising which is more blowing their own trumpet, it’s not necessary for the campaign.

Ultimately I think, however accurate the representation might be in the space of three minutes, we’re setting a pretty low bar if this advert is the best that can be done.

FrancescaContini · 10/04/2023 09:09

@kittensinthekitchen I saw it a few evenings ago as an short ad between programmes, not as a three and a half minute standalone piece. I didn’t realise when I saw it that the girl was autistic. My WTF? reaction to it was as I saw it at the time, with no prior knowledge of it.

WinnipegDink · 10/04/2023 09:10

Good God. Some of the responses on this thread. I think quite frankly if the ignorance displayed by some of the posters here demonstrates anything it's that this advert should be compulsory viewing, whether it's a sales advert or not.

And to the poster whose contribution is - if I want to know about autism in girls then I'll ask someone who knows - if you had already done that (asked someone who knows) then you'd likely understand the ad. You clearly haven't. Which is why IMO the advert is welcome.

These are our girls. It's important. And it's accurate. Watch it properly.

IScreamAtMichaelangelos · 10/04/2023 09:10

Just watched it. The tie in with Vanish at the end was a bit clunky I thought, but I liked the rest of it (autistic adult with autistic child here).

Tarantullah · 10/04/2023 09:11

It's tricky isn't it, my brother is autistic and growing up mine and my other siblings life largely revolved around him, but similarly I love him dearly and can't imagine life without him. Its complex imo, very challenging at the time and having had therapy as an adult can see the impact on my behaviours, outlook on life and other things; but it's also not their fault and whilst you can do things to mitigate the negative effects on siblings you cannot completely eradicate them. I do think it's important to be able to talk about, but appreciate sensitivity is important as it can be hurtful and harmful for those who cannot help how they are.

I like the advert.

user1471530109 · 10/04/2023 09:12

@Turquoisesilver I don't think anyone on here has said that at all. You are imagining that people are thinking that. Every parent of a DC with an autistic sibling knows how awful it is for them. It can be pretty horrific for everyone involved.

But it's not all bad. I think the advert does well to show the bond the sisters have. My two will always stick up for each other against 'outsiders'. My non autistic DD goes to great lengths to defend her sister to others. She also shows enormous empathy to others. I am very proud of the way she tries to include any child left out.
I think we have interpreted the advert very differently. This advert to me is about the whole family. I think it does that very well.

NurseCranesRolodex · 10/04/2023 09:12

VegetableGyoza · 10/04/2023 08:15

I think I read somewhere that the Autistic Girls Network were consulted about it too. Also I think it’s a real family.

it made me cry, it’s so accurate. That was also the consensus amongst my support group for parents with PDAers. It really struck a chord with many of us.

If its a real family the meltdown scenes massively compromise the yp's GDPR so doubt that aspect. It definitely seems to portray PDA though, which may be helpful as its so misunderstood.

fairgame84 · 10/04/2023 09:15

I thought it was pretty accurate.
I don't see how it's any different from the McCain Family Fund adverts.

Xrays · 10/04/2023 09:15

Ds is 11 and has fairly severe autism in that he attends an autism specific specialist school. I have autism. His dad has autism. The only one in our family who doesn’t have autism is dd aged 20 (different Dad). We all love the advert. Ds actually sat and watched it from beginning to end when it came on which is very unlike him and it’s very close to how he behaves. I think it’s great to raise awareness like this.

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