Advertisements Shape Our Social Reality: A Study of Apple Advertisements on Promoting PWDs and Inclusion

Abstract

There are persons with disabilities (PWDs) in each society. The
inclusion of PWDs by society, as supported by the United Nation’s sustainable
development goals (SDGs), could be encouraged by advertising. Advertising’s
influence on one’s worldview is obvious with cultivation theory espousing the
phenomenon that prolonged viewing of television could fashion audiences’
worldview by making them believe that the images projected are accurate
depictions of reality. PWDs not only nurture compassion within us but provide
us with a wealth of opportunities by coming up with inventions that improve
their quality of life. These inventions could empower PWDs by giving them
greater independence. The global brand, Apple, through its technological
devices, gives PWDs jobs, a platform for expression and dignity. Apple has
created a series of video advertisements that depict its embrace of inclusion
through its technological innovations. The study examines selected Apple’s
video advertisements using critical discourse analysis (CDA). The outcome
of the study is a framework for brands to use as a guide when incorporating
advertising images on the inclusion of PWDs.