Dyslexic Thinking

FCB London

Brand: Virgin/Made by Dyslexia

Year: 2022

Despite one in five people worldwide being affected by dyslexia, only 3% of the population view it positively, largely because the current definition is outdated, classifying dyslexia as a “disability” or “disorder.” Yet, those with dyslexia outperform at a wide variety of skills that are valuable in the workplace such as creativity, empathy, leadership, and outside-the-box thinking — proven by the number of incredibly successful businesspeople, inventors, and creators who all have dyslexia.

Bringing together Virgin Group and Made by Dyslexia with LinkedIn and Dictionary.com, we encouraged people to add the term “Dyslexic Thinking” to their profiles — a phrase that highlights all the positive skills people with dyslexia possess. Sir Richard Branson launched the campaign on LinkedIn, calling for others to join him, which created a groundswell of support from celebrities and non-celebrities alike.

The campaign was immediately picked up by international broadcasters and positive mentions of dyslexia increase by 1,562%, while negative mentions decreased by 4,450% from pre-campaign levels — a clear indication that the campaign was resonating and starting to change the perception of dyslexia. Within 30 days, 13,000 HR and recruitment leaders had also viewed the ad explaining how Dyslexic Thinkers could help take their company to the next level. But most importantly, over 10,000 people had added “Dyslexic Thinking” as a skill on LinkedIn, a number which continues to grow to this day.