Ad of the Week: Mars disability push pays off in new Maltesers ads

It’s hard to fault Mars’ intentions – nor its timing – with its promise to overhaul its advertising to include more disabled people.

Its Maltesers ‘Look on the Light Side’ campaign dovetails perfectly. It tells those funny-yet-painfully-embarrassing stories brilliantly – as does the ‘End the Awkward’ campaign of disability charity (and collaborator here) Scope.

One ad tells the story of a wheelchair user crushing a dancing bride’s foot, while another gaily gets away with an astonishingly frank sexual reference. Perhaps best is a silent ad in which two women chat via sign language. That it is sometimes to be screened without subtitles makes it innovative – but it’s already engaging, funny and smart.