4creative: Considering What?

After the huge impact of its previous Paralympics Games campaigns, 4creative has shifted tack for the campaign to promote its coverage of the 2024 event. While previous ads celebrated the ‘Superhuman’ Paralympic athletes, some found the messaging around ‘overcoming’ disabilities problematic and dated. In fact, research carried out by Channel 4 revealed that nearly 60% of people said they watch the Paralympic Games to “see athletes overcoming their disabilities”, compared to just 37% for “exciting sporting competition”.

The new campaign seeks to celebrate the athletes’ prowess in overcoming universal challenges such as gravity, friction and time and confronts the idea that they are remarkable only ‘considering’ their disability. “It was quite a difficult brief, because we want to be really celebratory of sport and the games and all of those things, but we also want to turn the lens on the audience and gently question preconceived notions or misinformed attitudes,” 4creative ECD Lynsey Atkin told Creative Review.

A two-minute film, directed by Steve Rogers at Biscuit Filmworks, brings those challenges to life vividly.

An OOH campaign, produced with Curious Productions and photographer Dan Humphreys, focuses on the well-meaning but patronising use of the word ‘considering’ when discussing the athletes’ performance. It includes a mural by artist Florence Burns, whose practice is informed by her personal experience of invisible respiratory disabilities.

Executive Creative Director: Lynsey Atkin
Creative Directors: Andy Vasey and Dan Warner
Creatives (OOH): Stuart Gittings and Reuben Dangoor
Head of Production & Operations: Miketta Lane
Head of Design: Rob Boon
Senior Designer: Aimi Awang
Designer: Dan Davies
Senior Planner, Strategy & Consumer Insight: James Hamilton
Brand Planner: Thomas Schofield
Creative Diversity & Disability Lead: Ally Castle @ Ideally Consulting ltd
Disability-led inclusive marketing agency: Dom Hyams (Client Director) and Dani Roberts (Campaigns Director) @ Purple Goat
Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks UK X Revolver
Director: Steve Rogers
Director of Photography: Daniel Landin
Production Designer: John Henson
1st AD: Ben Gill
Casting Director: Hannah Birkett
Editing Company: Work Editorial
Post Production: Time Based Arts
Mural artist: Florence Burns
OOH Production: Curious Productions
Photographer: Dan Humphreys