1. The client
ICA Gruppen
- one of Scandinavias biggest retail companies
- core business: grocery retail
- net sales: 87 billion
- empolyees: 19,000
2. Background
ICA-såpan (ICA soap opera) is a popular Swedish
commercial series. It aired for the first time 2001 and
takes place in a fictional ICA store where the store
manager Stig presents the weeks offers together with his
employees. The episodes are about 45 seconds long and in
sketch format, references to popular culture are common
and many Swedish celebrities have guest starred. March
2015 the commercial series still runs and have been
awarded several times. For example, is has received
Guldägget (The Golden Egg), the most prestigious prize in
the Swedish commercial industry, more than once.
One of the most popular characters in the commercial
series is the intern Jerry, played by the actor Mats Melin,
who has Downs Syndrome.
ICA-såpan on Youtube
3. Problem
When ICA introduced the character Jerry in ICA-såpan
they received strong reactions. Mostly positive, but some
critical voices rose above the chorus of congratulations.
They accused ICA for portraying Jerry as a stereotype,
based on historical views of people with Downs
Syndrome. By this ICA, according to the criticizers, took
a part in the perpetuation of the discourse regarding
people with intellectual disabilities, preventing them from
existing as an normal part of the society.
The commercial was reported to the RO who rather saw
it as “a challenge of the prejudices most
people have towards persons with Downs Syndrome”.
Who is right?
4. Case
Method:
Discourse Analysis and Netnography
Questions:
- In what way do existing discourses towards intellectual
disability come to life in the commercial series about the
character Jerry?
- Does the series stereotype or normalize his/their being?
- Have the ICA commercial series made a (positive)
difference in the way non-disabled persons look upon these
people?
5. Procedure
- 3 episodes were chosen: Jerrys first apperance
(2009), the second episode (2009) and when he left
the show (2012, came back in the end of 2013)
- The episodes were analyzed separately according to
method of Discourse Analysis.
- Youtube comments on the 3 episodes where
analyzed by the metod of Netnography.
- Conclusions were drawn based on the results of
analyzing of the episodes and the comments.
6. film 1 - The Intern
57,6 % positive and 42,2 % negative comments
Type A: ”He’s so sweet”
Describing someone as sweet and cute might seem like
a positive thing, but can in some cases have a underlying
meaning of that the person in question needs to be taken
care of. These words is almost never used to describe
grown up people, it is more common when it comes to
children and pets. Because of this these words are
associated with less knowledge and inability to take care
of yourself. Using them to describe an almost 50 year old
man with Downs Syndrome is a way of objectification and
are in line with the discourse of people with this disability as
persons who needs to be taken care of in the same way as
children or pets.
7. film 1 - The Intern
Type B: “Why do they make fun of a handicapped person?”
These people feel that ICA is doing the wrong thing by
presenting Jerry/Mats Melin as a part of their team.
The commentators express a need of defensing Jerry in a
situation where they perceive him as exposed and used.
This type of comments makes a clear division into ”us and
them”, a very common approach to disabled
people amongst non disabled. ”A handicapped person”
needs, in their eyes, help to make the right choices so he
does not get used. These commentators are somewhat
similar to the type A commentators in the way they
perceive Jerry, and the actor Mats Melin, as someone not
able to take care of himself.
8. film 1 - The Intern
Type C: “He is disgusting and doesn’t deserve to live”
There are several comments that focuses on Jerrys
apperance or looks. There are two kinds, one that is
commenting directly on his looks and one that suggests
that he is so disgusting that he does not even deserve to
live. We believe that these commentators react to the
characterisic looks of persons with Downs Syndrome since
no one else in the cast gets these kind of comments.
Type C comments are reflecting a historical view of people
with Downs Syndrome, they have always been harrassed
both for their physical apperance as well as their intellect.
These reactions speaks against ICAs initiative as a way to
normalize people with Downs Syndrome in society.
9. film 1 - The Intern
Type D: ”That is Mats Melin!”
Unlike type A, B and C these commentators are able to see
beyond Melins disability and rather talk about him as a
person and an actor. This is the least common type of
comments, which is not that surprising. The lack of
objective comments on Mats Melin as an actor and his
performance as the character Jerry might be because
most people only sees his disability and not his capabilities.
They forget to analyze his performance, since they focuses
what is ”not normal”.
10. Film 2 - Ulf shows Jerry the store
72,7 % positive and 27,3 negative comments
Interesting comments in film 2:
Type E: ”People with Downs Syndrome are funny”
These comments are counted as positive since they
include words like happy and positive, but are really a way
to reproduce a stereotype of people with Downs
Syndrome. The division between us and them is explicit
among the commentators.
In film 2 the type C comments still exist, even if they less
frequent than in film 1. There are also comments that
focuses on things like ”it’s great that ”they” get air time”.
Just like in type E, there is a clear division into us and them
in these comments.
11. Film 3 - Jerrys farewell
Interesting comments in film 3:
Type F: ”Jerry don’t leave!”
These commentators are very sorry to see Jerry go and
uses words like crying, missing, loving. In difference to
earlier examples you can’t see a division into us and them
here. It is impossible to know wether this means that the
viewers have changed their view of people with Downs
Syndrome, but the great amount of comments indicates a
greater acceptance.
There are some negative comments like type C here as
well, but they are very few. There are also some type E
comments that have been counted as positive. They are
claim that all the fun will be gone with Jerry.
93 % positive and 7 % negative comments
12. Conclusion
The fact that there are much less negative comments on
the last film doesn’t mean that ICAs’ initiative has changed
the view of people with Downs Syndrome in society as a
whole. For a greater change to come more companies than
ICA will have to cast persons with intellectual disabilities for
their commercials. Only a greater representation of these
people can lead to a normalization. However, ICAs’ initiative
might work as inspiration for others, especially since the
character Jerry became such a success. Throughout the
series the viewers have gotten to know Jerry, and this might
have contributed to people seeing the person behind the
disability. The lack of ”us and them” comments on the last
film indicates that at least the Youtube commentators have
changed their view on people with Downs Syndrome, which
is great. Advertising has a responsibility to reflect the
diversity of society and to distance itself from creating
harmful stereoptypes. By introducing Jerry ICA is living up to
that responsibility, now it’s time for others to do the same.
