Advertising and technology often intersect as media strategies, creative ideas and digital engagements get more and more elaborate and quite frankly, more interesting. But sometimes the intersection of advertising and technology has a different purpose. Allow us to explain.
This Saturday, May 4th 2019, there is an amazing event in San Francisco called ED REV, which is held annually at Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants.
Ed REV, short for Education Revolution, is a day-long event geared towards the 1 in 5 children who struggle with learning and attention differences, often compounded by anxiety and depression. As branding experts, we don’t love the name, but we love the organization. (Perhaps if they call us, we’ll happily offer pro-bono hours to create a name that more accurately embodies their LD mission.)
Now in its 11th year, EdRev offers education sessions, resources, and consultations with a celebratory community day at the ballpark. It is the only convention of its kind that brings together the entire LD community—students, parents, educators, and professionals. There will be an exhibit hall showcasing the latest learning technology, a stunning art gallery of the works of LD children from 100+ schools, community organizations and service providers focused specifically on learning and attention differences.
And there’ll be plenty of activities to keep the ADD kids engaged. The highlight, for most kids, is the ability to run the bases on the Giant’s field, while you relish in the knowledge that you’re surrounded by kids who all know what it means to live with a hidden disability.
As a San Francisco based ad agency, our small contribution comes in the form of a free assistive technology app we created called ModMath. It levels the playing field for students who are falling behind in math due to dysgraphia, a condition that makes writing anything out longhand extremely difficult. Rather than bore you with the specifics check out this explainer video which sums up the disability and the app’s functionality in about 60 seconds.
The point is that advertising and technology come together whenever we use our skills to create things that push the envelope, not just for our clients, but for our world. Of course, the obvious question is: Why would an ad agency champion an app for students with learning disabilities? Well, one in five people have a learning disability. But in my family's’ gene pool, that number is more like 3 out of 5 as it’s often hereditary. And my son (the handsome dude in our explainer video) has a particularly bad case of dysgraphia to go along with his dyslexia. So, when we realized there was no existing technology to help a student like our son around his disability, we brought advertising and technology together. A lot of agencies are doing amazing things with technology for all kinds of causes.
And if you visit ED REV this year, you’ll learn about dozens of assistive technologies that, like ModMath, are designed to help LD kids realize their full potential. It’s a powerful event you don’t want to miss.
Please learn more by checking out ED REVs fantastic partners Understood and the Children’s Health Counsel, who work tirelessly to educate the public on learning disabilities and related mental health issues.
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The small agency blog is produced by Division of Labor; a top advertising agency and digital marketing agency in San Francisco specializing in brand marketing and digital advertising campaigns. Clients include Ford, Dropbox, Roku, and San Jose Sharks. We offer the services you’d expect from an integrated, digital marketing agency, but we also offer hourly, brand consulting services for startups, smaller companies and brands that want to start doing something but aren’t ready to get into a big integrated campaign or media spend. We can help with brand strategy, brand voice, early stage asset development, and other communications to get things up and running without breaking the bank. For a free advertising consultation.click here .
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