Channel 4 have moved away from their pioneering “Meet The Superhumans” narrative to one of, “sport doesn’t care about disability” in their Paralympics marketing.

Channel 4 confronts the insight that 60% of people watch the Paralympics to see athletes overcoming their disability, rather than the excitement of a sports competition. With a gritty, high-octane production (think a cackling topless man, car crashes and ripped skin) the ad drives home the message that paralympians face the same brutal forces as any other athlete. A voiceover calls out the off-key comments Paralympians face – comments reminiscent of Channel 4’s own past ads.

The key takeout: times change, and conversations move on. What was right once, may not be right today. It’s our responsibility as purpose marketers to keep our ears to ground and ensure we’re doing communities justice. 
_{Find out more here}

“We’re showing the world that tough journeys don’t define us; we have the power to create opportunities,” says Refugee Olympics Team athlete, Yusra Mardini. The team is competing in their third Olympics, and this advert crystallises the unifying power of sport.

The spot uses Gen AI to create a graphic novel feel, portraying the athletes as superheroes. This is juxtaposed alongside real footage from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) showing the displacement refugees overcame. The integrated campaign features a special Snap filter which allows users to show their support for the team – at a time when refugees need it more than ever.

Stories are most powerful when they touch on shared human experiences, even in radically different situations.

_{Find out more here}

The Paris 2024 organisers have touted their Olympics as, “a revolutionary Games like we’ve never seen before” and, “historic for the climate.” A fantastic vision, but have they lived up to it?

Paris Olympic organisers have sought to cut the carbon footprint of London’s 2012 games in half. They’re avoiding new builds wherever possible, using 100% renewable energy, bringing back cardboard beds, installing circular water systems, depolluting the Seine river and banning energy-hungry AC units. Yet the sturdiness of beds have been in question, rooms are overheating some are facing mysterious illnesses after events in the Seine.

The organisers have taken essential green steps but ‘historic for the climate’ is a bold claim, especially when thousands of spectators clock up millions of air miles. The best approach for marketers looking to comment on their work in this sector is the age old advice of recognising sustainability as an imperfect journey towards a hard to reach goal.

Find out more here

We are well and truly in the throes of a global summer of sport. With it has been an infectious swell of excitement, from tense football viewings in pub gardens to a new found love for Olympic pole vaulting. Sport can capture attention in weird and wonderful ways.

But the rules of engagement in sports culture have changed and it’s being driven by a generation who prioritise inclusivity and individuality…Gen Z.

We’ve seen Gen Z ditch nightclubs for run clubs, “sportiness” become a label for the masses and sport subcultures rise to the fore. This, combined with Gen Z’s deepening of the sport-culture symbiosis, has provided brands an opportunity to forge unconventional partnerships and connect with new audiences.

Gen Z’s all out embrace of individuality (cue ‘brat girl summer’ – more on that later) has helped reposition athletes no longer as otherworldly but human beings with hobbies, quirks and weaknesses, just like the rest of us. The success of Simone Biles’ Netflix documentary or Tom Daley’s knitting instagram page, now with one million followers, offer two cases in point.  

Purpose marketers listen up. The Next Revolution is a Race to Gen Z.

To read the full report, click here...

_{Enjoyed this? Click here to sign up for next month’s newsletter.}