Boy With Down Syndrome Stars in TV Commercial

The Marks and Spencer's holiday TV commercial makes a splash in the UK every year with its playful fashion. But this year it’s making waves for another reason: its inclusion of 4-year-old model Seb White, who has Down Syndrome.  Little Seb looks holiday dapper in a cardigan and bow tie, and is the first model with Down Syndrome to be included in television ad for a major British brand.

It all started with Seb’s mom, Caroline, fed up with the lack of representation for kids with disabilities, took to M&S’s Facebook page to ask them to consider Seb as a model. Facebook fans rallied around the idea, and soon Seb was being called in for the holiday catalogue. He nailed the gig, and was then booked for the TV ad.

Plus: “My Special Needs Baby Taught Me How to Live

“Our initial involvement with Seb was due to the overwhelming response to Caroline’s post on our Facebook page... However, he won his place in our TV ad thanks to the natural charm and magical personality he showed on set at our magazine shoot," Steve Sharp, executive director of marketing of Marks and Spencer, said.

Seb joins Valentina Guerrero and Ryan Langston, cuties with Down Syndrome who have appeared in ad campaigns in the US.

How does the inclusion of disabled models make you feel about a brand? Are you more likely to buy from them? Leave a comment.