Almost half of the public (48.91%), According to a 2023 study—They believe that too much emphasis is placed on an individual's disability rather than their abilities.
He Paralympic Games —the sporting tournament held every four years following the conclusion of the Summer Olympics—poses a powerful opportunity to challenge this narrative and showcase the power and magnificence of human performance on a global stage.
This year, three ads challenge outdated stereotypes and stand out from the rest.
Apple's unified track
apple ( (APL-American Lead Association) ) new Paralympic announcement, “The relief“challenges the traditional separation between Paralympic and Olympic athletes by lining them up side by side in two team relays, teams made up of mixed athletes, with and without disabilities.
This visual metaphor breaks the stigma of separation and paints the full picture that these athletes train, practice, sweat and compete in the same way..
There is a perception that these athletes compete in separate worlds, but that is not the reality, as Jack Cunningham, a prominent athlete, shared his thoughts. with Ad Age: “As adaptive athletes, we compete with able-bodied athletes all the time. What's new is seeing it on the screen, but when I'm racing, I'm just competing with my friends like everyone else. When you line up at the starting line, no one thinks about what you have or don't have. You just want to win.”
Apple has created more than just an advertisement; it has also made a statement about our perception of athletes.
“The Relay” is a great example of how media can change perceptions and tell impactful stories that have not been told. The authenticity, meaningful intention and beauty of the film pays tribute to competitive athletes of all abilities.” saying Kara Sterner, marketing director for the Challenged Athletes Foundation.
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Orange's 1.71 second difference
Orange ( (ORAN) ) Telecommunications advertising challenges the bias of how people perceive peak athletic performance.
The ad juxtaposes the Olympic and Paralympic men's 1500m T-13 finals, showing clips that highlight the identical imagery, emotion and intensity of both races.
However, the result reveals a surprising twist: it is not the presence or absence of disability that distinguishes these athletes, but 1.71 seconds, the margin by which the Paralympic athlete beat the Olympic athlete.
With this campaign, Orange Telecommunications aims to challenge the perception that disability is the defining difference in athletic performance.
As the campaign slogan sums up, “When you love sport, you love sport”, sport is made for athletes, for competition and the desire to excel, where the passion to succeed transcends physical differences.
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Citi behind the lens
Citi ( (do) ) The latest Paralympic campaign challenges the often disability-related question, “What happened?”, by shifting the narrative from her disability to her remarkable achievements.
This shift highlights the resilience and excellence of Paralympic athletes, shifting the conversation away from their disabilities and toward their triumphs.
The campaign photographer, Jordan Nicholsonbrings a personal perspective to the project as someone living with TAR syndrome.
Nicholson stresses the importance of having a photographer with a similar background to the athletes, saying, “I can’t speak to the experiences of all people with disabilities, but I know that as someone living with TAR syndrome, I feel an immediate connection to other people who also live with a disability. All of our experiences vary greatly, but I think it’s good to have at least one common point of contact.”
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His connection with the athletes he photographs allows him to obtain images that capture the raw and powerful moments before and after competition, moments that often go unnoticed.
“We wanted to capture photos that looked like they were taken just before or after the big race or match,” Nicholson explains. “Those quiet but epic moments surrounding the competitive scenes we're normally used to seeing.”
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