Have you taken a look at this week’s ad from Target? It includes a child who is modeling a bright orange shirt on page nine. It just so happens that this particular little boy has Down Syndrome. Target included him and didn’t feel the need to specifically announce it. By saying nothing, Target is speaking volumes about accepting kids who have special needs.
The beautiful little boy in the Target ad has blond hair, blue eyes, and Down Syndrome. His name is Ryan, and he is modeling a bright orange shirt that has a drawing of a motorcycle on it. Next to him are several other children, all of whom are wearing clothing that can be purchased from Target.
In other words, Ryan is just another kid in the photo. The purpose of the photo is to sell a bunch of really cute and colorful kids clothing to parents who have children who are about the same size as the kids in the photo. It really isn’t about the kids who happen to have been selected to model the clothing. It also isn’t an advertisement for clothing designed for kids who have special needs. The ad is just another ad.
Target didn’t feel the need to specifically point out that they have included a child who has Down Syndrome in this week’s ad. Obviously, it wasn’t an accident, or random circumstance, that placed Ryan into the ad. All of the kids, and adults, who model clothing in these types of ads are intentionally selected. I think that everyone is aware of that.
Theoretically, it would have been possible for Target to go online and emphasize that they have included a child who has special needs into this week’s ad. The company didn’t choose to do so. Their silence speaks volumes.
There is a blog called “Noah’s Dad”. It is written by the father of Noah, who has Down Syndrome. If you want to see some absolutely adorable baby photos, you should check out the side of the blog where “Baby Noah’s Instagrams” are presented in slide show format.
Noah’s Dad wrote a blog about the Target ad, and what Target said by not saying anything at all. He probably says it better than I can. Overall, Target is saying that people with Down syndrome, (and other special needs), should be treated the same as everybody else. I think the world needs this message.
Image by Marcus Quigmire on Flickr