Here’s a sneak peek at our May 7 issue
The intent of our “After Hours” magazine department is to profile the lives of industry professionals away from the office—the art they create, the music they play, the fun they have.
For the last three years, Arthur Fleischmann, John St. co-founder and president, spent much of his time away from the office writing a book – Carly’s Voice. But it wasn’t an escapist or creative indulgence. Fleischmann was writing the remarkable story of his now 17-year-old daughter Carly, who has autism. And from the time she was very young, Fleischmann and his wife Tammy believed Carly was totally non-verbal, unable to develop intellectually beyond a young child. That is until one day, at age 10, when she started to type. And everything changed. Carly revealed herself to be a witty, intelligent girl who, contrary to what most believed, knew exactly what was going on around her.
It was a profound breakthrough not just for Carly and her family but in the understanding of autism. Her story was widely covered in the media in Canada and the U.S. Someone suggested a book.
The family decided to take on the project themselves because they felt Carly’s story wasn’t being fully told, says Fleischmann. “Especially U.S. media tends to sweeten it and make it simple,” he says. “We decided to tell the full story. You go through a lot of hell before you get any breakthroughs.” For the better part of two years, Fleischmann dedicated weekends and holidays to the book.
Carly contributed to the book through the many comments and observations she’d written over the years, and wrote the final chapter, “From the Horse’s Mouth.” Her intelligence jumps off the pages.
“It isn’t lost on me that I make my living in communications and I have a daughter that can’t speak,” says Fleischmann. And yet, he says, Carly’s been teaching him lessons on how to deliver her message.
“She’s far more adept at social media than any of us and she totally understands how to tell a story, how to keep people engaged,” he says.
The next project from what Fleischmann calls Carly Inc. will be an interactive website that lets “neurotypical” people experience autism. The idea was brought to life thanks to Fleischmann’s advertising connections, including his creative team at John St. “It blew me away the number of people that came out to contribute,” he says.
Carly’s Cafe is scheduled to go live this month. Google it.
Your dad says you’re a very good storyteller; have you given much thought about how you get your story across or does it come naturally?
Most people living with autism are able to write paragraphs in their heads. When I write a story or a school paper, I am able to write it in my head before I type it out on paper. When I was writing my book The Elephant Princess, I was always twelve pages ahead of what I wrote on paper. I have not finished writing the book, however, the story is written in my head. It’s a great story and I’m sure it will beat Hunger Games. LOL.
Have you been involved in developing strategies and plans for selling Carly’s Voice?
I think I am the brains of the whole operation, LOL. I have been successful in contacting Oprah’s network. Even though they didn’t help, I got my letters to their desks. I have used social media to help me do a book signing in L.A. I also pushed my parents to think big and fight hard.
Has your father tried to teach you anything about advertising to help you raise awareness about autism?
My father never sat down and taught me anything to do with advertising. He does come home and force me to watch his cat advertising videos and forces me to watch his television commercials. LOL.
I am always listening to people talking even when they don’t think I am. Conversations in my house don’t have to be in person for me to understand advertising. I listen to my father talk on the phone to his clients or business partners. Oh yeah dad, that reminds me. When is that multi-million dollar business merger happening? I’m just joking. I keep information I hear private and usually it’s only one side of the conversation. I think advertising is all something you’re born with. I have been coming up with advertising ideas to promote autism ever since I could spell.
How do you feel about the marketing being done to raise awareness?
This past week, the Center for Disease Control released their new data on the prevalence of autism. The numbers are staggering: an estimated 1 in 88 children will have autism. The number for boys is even higher: 1 in 54. The thought is it’s the largest epidemic to hit the world.
Autism is getting some exposure because if you ask a friend if they know someone with autism they will say yes, my best friend’s daughter, my neighbour’s son, my cousin or my brother or sister has autism. However the media tends not to talk about autism unless something bad happens. Television shows are starting to add story lines with autistic characters, which is helping in teaching the public.
Autism Speaks, one of the world’s leading autism advocacy groups, has done a great job with its “Light It Up Blue” campaign and the autism walks that are starting to happen around the world. Am I happy with the marketing plan that is in place? I would like to see the word autism known by everyone. [In the new movie] 21 Jump Street, the actor used the word autism in the same context as the word DUMB. We are not dumb and there are many smart people with autism doing remarkable things. That’s what we need to market.
For more on Canada’s creative industry leaders, subscribe to Marketing.
