A huge congratulations goes out to FCB Chicago and Rakish Entertainment, whose groundbreaking accessibility initiative “Caption with Intention” swept the 2025 Clio Entertainment Awards, earning three Grand Awards in Theatrical: Innovation, Public Relations, and Design.
The evening was a celebration of the people and ideas reshaping entertainment marketing, and this project stood out as a true industry game-changer.
A New Standard for On-Screen Accessibility
Developed with the Chicago Hearing Society (CHS), “Caption with Intention” is a first-of-its-kind captioning system designed to redefine how Deaf and Hard of Hearing audiences experience film and television.
Instead of simply transcribing dialogue, the system infuses captions with emotion, tone, pacing, and speaker identity through expressive typography, animation, and color. The result is a cinematic caption experience that reflects the full intent of the performance, something traditional subtitles have never been able to deliver.
The team spent a whole year developing the system alongside members of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, workshopping dozens of prototypes, and testing them against iconic movie scenes.
Community Collaboration at the Core
“We brought together a diverse group of Deaf and Hard of Hearing people whose lived experiences guided every decision,” said Karla Giese, Coordinator of Training and Education at CHS. “Centering Deaf perspectives ensured authenticity.”
Filmmaker Marc Forster, founder of Rakish and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, helped shepherd the visual language and introduced the work to the Academy. Earlier this year, the Academy recognized the project with an Award of Merit at the Scientific and Technical Awards — a significant endorsement of the system’s potential to become a new industry standard.
Creativity Driven by Empathy
“This project is proof that creativity, when led by empathy, can spark lasting change,” said Andrés Ordóñez, Global Chief Creative Officer at FCB.
Executive Creative Director Bruno Mazzotti, who grew up with Deaf parents, added a personal perspective: “So much emotion is lost in traditional captions. This was a chance to finally bridge that gap.”
Designer So A Ryu, who is Hard of Hearing, underscored the mission: “Accessibility isn’t just about information — it’s about delivering full creative expression.”
Open-Source and Ready for Adoption
The caption design system is now open source, making it freely available to studios, streamers, and production partners worldwide.
With “Caption with Intention,” FCB Chicago, CHS, and Rakish Entertainment have transformed a long-overlooked tool into an expressive storytelling device — pushing the entertainment industry toward a more inclusive future and earning well-deserved Clio acclaim along the way.
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