April 2, 2026: Independent agency Do Not Behave has created a new campaign for research charity Autistica, challenging the public to be more accepting of autistic people’s behaviour.
This is Do Not Behave’s first work for Autistica following its appointment to the account earlier this year. Previously Autistica’s agency was House337.
At the heart of the campaign is a 60-second film which launches on April 2nd via social media to celebrate World Autism Acceptance Day and Month. It will air on Instagram, TikTok, Youtube, LinkedIn and the Autistica website.
The film features autistic people talking about their coping strategies, and challenges the public to be more accepting by pausing, rethinking their assumptions and responding with greater understanding.
Called “Autistic. So What?”, the film aims to educate society and shows how autistic traits can be misread in everyday situations. A close-up of a woman in a busy café shows them tightly gripping a cup of coffee. A voice over says: “I don’t do eye contact. So what? I’m listening to every word.”
In another shot we see two people at the water cooler in an office filling their cups whilst another person looks over from their desk. The voice over says: “I don’t do small talk. So What? I focus on the things that matter.” This is repeated in other scenarios.
Finally, actor and writer Bradley Riches, who was diagnosed with autism aged nine and appears as an autistic character Lewis Barton in Emmerdale, is seen preparing to go on set. His voice-over says: “I wear noise-cancelling headphones. So what? It’s how I get my best work done.”
As the film ends, a title appears on screen with the words: “Autistic people adapt to live their lives every day. Isn’t it time we adapted to theirs?”
Co-created with the autistic community, the film features autistic people in everyday moments where they are too often misread or judged. It is set to the sound of Bloc Party’s track ‘Positive Tension.’
Out of Home executions will run via Ocean Outdoor super sites and regionally to support the ‘So What?’ Theme.
The campaign is the latest stage in Autistica’s “Our World 2030” strategy aiming to improve conditions for autistic people by the end of the decade. The work is built from behavioural insight to ensure the focus is on real behaviour change, clearly highlighting why it’s important to interpret difference differently.
Do Not Behave creative director Jo Moore says: “It has been an amazing journey working on this campaign with Autistica. We’ve loved having such positive input from the autistic community, and those who came to the casting had certain lines that resonated with them personally. And it was brilliant being able to use Bloc Party’s Positive Tension. We think this campaign will make a huge contribution to the way autistic people are accepted by society.”
Bradley Riches says: “This film matters because it challenges attitudes towards autistic people. It takes the phrase “So What?” and turns it back on the judgement, asking people to respond with more understanding and, ultimately, greater acceptance.”
