Beyond the Fine Print: How HumanKind Casting Is Redefining Who We See in Advertising
By Kristie Raymond
Advertiser Disclosure: This is a sponsored article from Humankind Casting. Learn more about them on this website.
You know that moment when you flip through a magazine or scroll past a billboard and think, “Wow, everyone here seems to be living on a permanent vacation with flawless abs and zero real-life experience?”
Yeah, me too.
But here’s the good news: HumanKind Casting is flipping the script — and the camera lens — to reflect a world that actually looks like, well, humankind. That includes building a bold, brilliant talent pool of models with disabilities — children and adults — who are ready to take center stage in branding and advertising campaigns across industries.
Inclusive casting in the modeling world isn’t just about ticking a box or featuring a wheelchair once a year in a holiday ad. It’s about normalizing what should’ve been normal all along: the visibility of all kinds of beauty, strength, and style. It’s about showing kids, teens, parents, and everyone else that perfection isn’t one shape, size, or ability.
And let’s be honest: authenticity sells. Today’s consumers — especially Gen Z and Alpha — can smell a fake ad campaign from a mile away. They crave realness. Brands that embrace inclusive casting aren’t just doing the right thing — they're future-proofing their image, building loyalty, and standing on the right side of history (and TikTok).
HumanKind Casting is leading the charge by connecting brands to a thriving, untapped universe of disabled talent — fresh faces, dynamic personalities, and fierce spirits ready to redefine what it means to be a “model.” No longer the exception, these models are becoming the new rule.
From lifestyle shoots and product campaigns to social media takeovers and global representation , HumanKind’s talent pool is making sure disability is seen, celebrated, and centered — not blurred out in the background.
And it doesn’t stop at the casting call. HumanKind works hand-in-hand with clients to build supportive, accessible environments so their models can shine without compromise — because true inclusion happens behind the scenes and in front of the camera.
The future of advertising isn’t just glossier — it’s more colorful, more diverse, and more authentic. Thanks to HumanKind Casting, the message is loud and clear: Disability is not an afterthought. It’s front and center — beautiful, powerful, and impossible to ignore.
In a world full of brands scrambling to “connect” with audiences, HumanKind is offering them the ultimate life hack:
Show real people. Tell real stories. Include everyone.
Because the world doesn’t need another stock photo.
It needs a movement.
About the Author
Kristie Raymond is a 30 year veteran of the modeling and commercial advertising industry. She began her career by opening Models, Inc. in 1991, shaking up the New England modeling industry with a progressive approach to finding new faces for her clients. In 2000 she launched Viewfinder Productions. Casting, location scouting and producing print campaigns for clients like BOSE, Sebago and Liberty Mutual for the next 15 years. Photo Producer with Hasbro rounds out her recent career. It was here that Kristie directed conversations of how to approach casting talent for branding marketing materials in a way that reflected a brand’s mission statement of diversity and inclusion.
Seeing this as an overarching need for brands and companies, Kristie launched HumanKind, LLC in January 2021. Her mission is to find and cast accurate and authentic talent to appear in photo and video campaigns.
Her biggest accomplishment to date is the launch of HumanKind Originals, a portfolio of children and adults that identify as disabled or as having a disability. Kristie’s plan is to seek out clients who are ready and willing to be more inclusive and create imagery that represents everyone. She believes Every Body Belongs.