The agency’s research revealed the disparity in perceptions.
“When people talk about the Olympics, they talk about ‘competing’ in it. When they talk about the Paralympics, they talk about ‘participating’ in it,” Richard Brim, chief creative officer of adam&eveDDB, observed.
This misperception also has a deeper effect on Paralympians: “What we heard loud and clear [from the athletes] is that they just want to focus on the sport. In the rest of their lives, the focus is on them having a disability, but this moment is purely about performance,” Ingram said. “The only reason to watch the Paralympics is to watch sports.”
In the ad, the animation “plays into that kind of ‘warm hug’ public perception of the Paralympics that is totally contrary to what actually happens,” Daniel Bonder, executive creative director of adam&eveDDB New York, explained. “We want to get people feeling comfortable before bringing in this idea that you need to reframe your mindset.”
The abrupt taekwondo kick that cuts off the animation is meant to be “discombobulating,” Brim added.
“The interruption feels anxious and uncomfortable, to make people see that [Paralympians] are not participants, they’re contenders,” he said. “This is sportsmanship at its highest, not a lesser version than the main event.”
Attracting more viewers to the Paralympics is not just good business for broadcasters and the IPC. Research shows that the Games have also helped eradicate stereotypes; for example, one in three U.K. adults said they changed their attitudes toward those with disabilities after the London 2012 Paralympics.
“The more people who watch the Paralympics, the more perceptions shift toward people with disabilities,” Ingram said.
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