AUTISM SOCIETY | Language of Bedwetting | 2026
Creating a Whole New Word for Bedwetting / Autism Society "Language of Bedwetting"
There was no word to explain bedwetting in any AAC app in the world. Noticing this gap, this campaign went ahead and built an entirely new "language" out of more than 100 symbols.
The problem
Autistic children are said to experience bedwetting at a higher rate. But for children who have trouble speaking, there was no way at all to explain what happened, how they felt, or what they needed.
The insight
AAC apps are stocked with all the everyday words needed for communication, but the one thing missing was a vocabulary for talking about the experience of bedwetting. Without words for it, these children couldn't explain to anyone what had happened, and had no choice but to carry it alone.
The idea
Working with speech-language pathologists and the Autism Society of America, the team developed a brand new set of more than 100 symbols covering pronouns, verbs, adjectives, nouns, and phrases. The symbols are color-coded and arranged left to right, designed so kids can build sentences in the order of subject → verb → situation → feeling → request. The set can be uploaded into any existing AAC app, and printable boards to stick up in bedrooms or bathrooms are also being given out for free.
What happened
At Cannes Lions 2026, the campaign won a Gold Lion in the Digital Craft category, and was also shortlisted in multiple other categories including Design and Innovative Use of Technology.
Afterthought
It struck me that advertising doesn't just mean flashy visuals or clever copy—sometimes it means creating a word itself. A child who can't speak gets to tell someone, for the first time, what happened to them. Seeing the sheer persistence behind designing more than 100 symbols for that single purpose left me quietly moved.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Gold 2026
