Through the campaign “Now We’re Cooking”, developed in collaboration with BBH London and media agency EssenceMediacom, Tesco addressed one of the almost invisible problems of digital content – the fact that a large number of online recipes are still not adapted for people with disabilities.
The campaign was created as the winning project of this year’s Channel 4 Diversity in Advertising Award initiative, which grants brands one million pounds worth of media space for projects focused on authentic inclusion in advertising. This year’s theme was “Inclusive by Design”, centred around the idea that accessibility should not be treated as an addition after a campaign is finished, but as part of the process from the very beginning of communication development.
Unlike many brands that treat inclusion exclusively as a communication message, Tesco connected the campaign to real changes within its digital ecosystem. The company introduced more than 100 adapted recipes available in audio, Braille, ebook and smart-speaker formats, while adaptive cooking tools were introduced through Tesco Marketplace in partnership with Parkinson’s UK.
The campaign is based on research conducted with The Diversity Standards Collective, according to which 60% of people with disabilities face barriers when using online recipes. The problem is not only the lack of captions or audio descriptions, but also the way recipes themselves are structured – from relying on visual cues to unclear timing instructions and formats that are not adapted for screen reader devices.
At the centre of the campaign is a 60-second film directed by Alan Masferrer, set inside a large television cooking studio where people with different disabilities openly speak about how traditional cooking systems and recipe formats often exclude them from the experience of preparing food. The space then gradually transforms into a more inclusive environment through sign language, audio description, large open-caption subtitles, clear typography and a slower editing rhythm adapted to different ways of perceiving content.
The production of the campaign was developed together with disability-founded agency With Not For, while people with disabilities were included in every stage of the process, from scripts and storyboards to casting, captions and the final edit.
Particular focus was placed on the way captions were integrated into the aesthetic of the film itself, rather than being treated as a technical add-on. The BBH team found inspiration in the work of theatre company Creative Captioning, which uses captions as part of the performance and visual identity of the content itself.
The campaign also reflects a broader industry shift within the British advertising market, particularly following the decision by Channel 4 to introduce mandatory closed captions for all advertisements broadcast on the platform.
Tesco plans to expand the initiative across social media, Tesco Magazine, OOH communication and future recipe versions adapted for British Sign Language. In that sense, “Now We’re Cooking” moves beyond the framework of a traditional CSR campaign and becomes an example of how utility marketing and inclusive design can directly redefine the way a brand builds everyday relevance.
