Why Closed Captioning Should Be as Essential as a Good Roux

Let’s be real—hosting a Super Bowl™ party while actually watching the game is a pipe dream. Maybe it was this year’s gumbo that kept you from focusing (Fun Fact: Making a roux for gumbo takes 45 minutes of constant stirring—yes, 45 minutes! Stop to refill a friend’s hurricane, set out the deviled eggs, or, heaven forbid, glance at the screen, and you’re left with a burned, stinky disaster that lingers long after the final whistle).

One of our friends had the genius idea to turn on closed captioning, which turned out to be a game-changer. With fifteen conversations happening at once, we could at least read what Tom Brady—or whoever that other guy was—was saying (seriously, unless you’re a sports diehard, name the commentator. We’ll wait). Thankfully, all commercials were captioned too, making it possible to catch punchlines in between wrestling for the last deviled egg and sniffing the air suspiciously for that telltale burnt roux aroma.

But here’s the kicker—once the game ends, the MVP is crowned, the Clydesdales trot back to the barn, and the last beer can is tossed in the recycler, closed captioning mysteriously vanishes from the airwaves.

Why?

The benefits of closed captioning are undeniable. It provides accessibility for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, boosts child literacy by reinforcing word recognition and sentence structure, and even increases brand loyalty by making ads accessible in noisy places like gyms and bars. So why on earth wouldn’t advertisers want to use it? It’s like making gumbo and forgetting the seasoning—sure, it’s technically edible, but it’s missing the magic.

And yet, a shocking number of ads still aren’t captioned. Why?

It’s not cost—captioning is dirt cheap in the grand scheme of advertising. For under $100, you can have a spot captioned in minutes—pennies compared to the media buy.

It’s not a lack of a final script—captioning vendors transcribe in real time. A skilled captioner (seasoned like a proper gumbo, of course) doesn’t even need a script; they just listen and type.

It’s not about ignoring an audience—advertisers know every viewer counts. When they realize closed captioning improves engagement, literacy, and accessibility, the smart ones demand it.

So why do non-captioned ads still exist?

Simple: lack of attention to detail. Advertisers spend countless hours crafting the perfect message, but the finishing touch—the thing that ensures everyone actually gets the message—gets overlooked.

Let’s change that. By the end of 2025, every ad should be captioned, period. By 2026, not captioning an ad should feel as absurd as airing a spot without sound. This isn’t something we need to wait for the government to mandate—it should be a given. Advertisers, agencies, producers, and stations should expect every piece of creative to be captioned, no exceptions.

Accessibility in advertising is more crucial than ever. Audio description—another key tool for inclusivity—allows visually impaired audiences to hear what’s happening on screen. Unlike captioning, it requires a full creative team to script, narrate, and integrate descriptions into an ad. Yet, despite the extra effort, brands are embracing it because it builds engagement and brand loyalty.

At the end of the day, accessibility shouldn’t be an afterthought—it should be as fundamental as making sure your gumbo doesn’t burn. Because just like a properly made roux, when done right, it makes everything richer, more flavorful, and ensures no one is left out of the experience.