Seb White steals the show in a Marks & Spencer holiday ad. (Marks & Spencer)
A 4-year-old boy sporting a distinguished cardigan and bow tie ebulliently races toward the camera, leading a pack of kids, in a holiday television ad for the prestigious UK retailer Marks & Spencer.
With smiling eyes and loads of natural charm, Seb White has the look of a model but he’s an unlikely choice because he has Down syndrome.
White is the first child with Down syndrome to ever appear in a UK television ad and he got the job thanks to his mom, Caroline White.
Caroline noticed a lack of kids with disabilities in advertising and she wrote letters to several retailers asking them to use Seb in their ads. After hearing “no” again and again, she posted a photo of her son on the Marks & Spencer Facebook page, inviting the retailer to feature Seb in one of its holiday spots. Immediately comments encouraging Marks to hire Seb started appearing and soon the boy with an adorable face became the star of the retailer’s holiday ads, both print and television.
Brits are thrilled with the ads because they present Seb as just another one of the kids and send a message that all children deserve opportunities regardless of their appearance or medical condition.
Seb isn’t the first Down syndrome child to model. Earlier this year a 10-month-old baby named Valentina Guerrero became the new lead model for Spanish swimwear designer Dolores Cortés’ 2013 children’s swimsuit collection, DC Kids (see images below). Designer Dolores Cortés said, “People with Down syndrome are just as beautiful and deserve the same opportunities. I’m thrilled to have Valentina modeling for us.”
In early 2012, Target released an ad featuring a blue-eyed, shaggy blonde-haired boy named Ryan (see photo below). Target was applauded for being low-key about the ad. The company never created a press release, sending the message that Ryan was just like the other kids.
A father of a Down syndrome child wrote on his blog Noah’s Dad:
This wasn’t a “Special Clothing For Special People” catalog. There wasn’t a call out somewhere on the page proudly proclaiming that “Target’s proud to feature a model with Down syndrome in this week’s ad!” And they didn’t even ask him to model a shirt with the phrase, “We Aren’t All Angels” printed on the front. In other words, they didn’t make a big deal out of it. I like that.
In 2012, several kids with Down syndrome starred in ad campaigns. Take a look at their inspiring work below.
