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The Paralympic Games began as a small gathering for injured World War II veterans, and the event could reach its largest audience during Paris 2024. A record number of countries—more than 160, compared to 154 for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games—have confirmed broadcast deals for this year’s event.
Nevertheless, misperceptions about the Paralympics persist, perpetuating condescending tropes about people with disabilities.
“There’s this perception that Paralympics isn’t a ‘real sport’—that it exists as a ‘nice thing to have’ and gives people with disabilities a chance to try sports … rather than the fact that it is a world-class, elite sporting event,” said Liora Ingram, senior planner at agency adam&eveDDB.
To shatter stereotypes, the International Paralympic Committee’s new campaign shows the gritty reality of Paralympians competing at the highest level of sports.
“The Paralympics Dream”—created by adam&eveDDB’s New York and London offices, and directed by Sam Gainsborough through production company Blinkink—begins in a magical animated world. With pastel colors, singing flowers and rainbows, Paralympians frolic through fields and hold hands beneath the Eiffel Tower, joining in the chorus of Paul McCartney’s light-hearted 1983 anthem, “We All Stand Together.”
But this idyllic scene shatters suddenly as British Paralympic taekwondo athlete Amy Truesdale receives a kick in the chest and crashes to the mat. The warm and saccharine animation is juxtaposed with raw, live-action footage of Paralympians training, depicting all of the grunts, sweat and falls of their routines.
The message to viewers is: “They’re not playing games.”
Paralympics as ‘the main event’
The IPC wants to make this year’s Games, which open Aug. 28, the most watched Paralympics ever. Its ad launches Monday to mark the 100-day countdown to the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games and will run in up to 185 countries and territories, across TV, online and social channels.
This will be the first Paralympics offering some live coverage from all 22 sports, compared to Tokyo 2020, which broadcast 19 of the sports. As well as seeing greater interest from broadcasters for the 2024 Games, the IPC reported that overall revenue raised from media rights sales increased by more than 20% compared to the Tokyo 2020 Games, which received a cumulative 4.1 billion viewers.
To exceed those audience figures, the organization and adam&eveDDB have to “close a perception gap” and help audiences see the Paralympics on the same level as the Olympics, said Ingram.
