British Retailer Features Boy with Down Syndrome in Christmas Ads

Seb White

Seb White

Caroline White was frustrated with a lack of diversity among child models by British retailer Marks & Spencer, so she posted a photo of her son on the M&S Facebook page.

The response on the social-media site was so overwhelming that M&S enlisted the boy, 4-year-old Seb White, to pose for its catalogs.

Now, Seb will star in the M&S 2012 Christmas TV campaign too, with commercials running in Britain over the next six weeks.

White says she hopes the advertisement – directed by the specialist behind the music video for Beyonce’s hit “Single Ladies” – will help get rid of misconceptions surrounding Down syndrome.

“It says he is one of the cool kids too, that he is just like everyone else, and that’s how it should be,” she told The Times of London.

Models with Down syndrome are making inroads in many retailers’ advertisements, such as Saskia Vogt with the Toys R Us Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids, and Valentina Guerrero with DC Kids.

To read more about Seb White, check out this story in the Daily Mail.

Recent Posts