As the Olympic and Paralympic games approach this summer, we kept an eye out for the most impactful Olympic and Paralympic Games adverts. In this post, we list our top eight adverts and list WHY they score highly in the world of inclusive marketing.
Purple Goat is the world’s only disability-led social-first inclusive marketing agency, and our mission is to authentically represent the Disabled community. So, let’s dive right in.
8 Top Olympics and Paralympics Ads for Paris 2024
1. Paralympic Games
Score: 9/10
This Paralympic advert, launched by the Paralympic Games YouTube channel, offers the audience many surprises. Firstly, the main message cleverly contradicts the usual message portrayed by adverts, stating, ‘Paralympians are not here to play games’. We love this message, as well as the timing of it in the video when a beautiful, relaxed animated scene suddenly changes to a high-contrast shot of someone being kicked to the floor. This message portrays Paralympians as the elite athletes they truly are, and we welcome this representation to the Disabled community who often experience reactions such as pity or being underestimated in some way.
The advert features a range of characters with disabilities in both animated and real-life footage. This includes wheelchair users, those wearing prosthetic limbs and those with invisible disabilities, which highlights inclusivity. In terms of accessibility, we love the fact that two options are offered for viewers. This includes closed captions and the ability to switch on and audio track which narrates each scene and what is happening. This makes the content accessible to those who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, as well as those who are blind or partially sighted.
The only accessibility comment we have for this video is that the initial opening title, written in light pink and blue in the clouds, has poor colour contrast and may be difficult to read for those with visual impairments. Otherwise, we absolutely love this Paralympic advert!
2. Toyota
9/10
This advert introduces the Olympic and Paralympic games in the first sentence, as a voiceover shown on the news on television. We love that this is equally represented in a natural way. The advert then shows various clips of four Olympians and two Paralympians travelling in some form such as running, on a trike or skateboarding. The video title and marketing message ‘Start your impossible’ ties into Toyota’s wider campaign, which allows people to explore an interactive map on their website and send messages of support to various athletes around the world. On this map, there are many more Paralympians listed, and we celebrate this level of inclusivity.
In terms of accessibility, it is clear that Toyota has put extra effort into their captions, as every word, sound effect and piece of music is displayed perfectly. For example, the first closed caption states:
[🎶 Classical instrumental music plays 🎶]
(TV AUDIO) In a couple of days, thousands of athletes will arrive in Paris for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
As you can see, they have considered all layers of context, which enables those who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing to understand the full context of the advertisement.
3. Deloitte
8/10
This fast-paced, dynamic advert uses seamless transitions between each video clip linking each movement to the next. For example, the camera follows a javelin throw, which then blends as someone diving into a pool in the same path of motion. We love the vibrancy and energy of this Olympic advert, plus the voiceover that states ‘see disability as a strength’. However, it’s important to not portray Paralympians as ‘inspirational’ and ‘superhumans’, just because they have a disability.
This is the first video we viewed this year that features an equal number of Olympians and Paralympians, Nevin Harrison (canoe sprint), Jamal Hill (para swimming), Justin Phonesavanh (Para track & field) and Lee Kiefer (fencing).
We love this balance and how it adds a layer of inclusivity, plus the Olympic and Paralympic logos are displayed equally in the final shot. Overall, the marketing message portrays them as a forward-thinking business, and this advert puts them one step ahead of the game, relating to their website landing page and work as advisors for the LA 2028 games.
Interestingly, this video uses open captions (burnt into the video) rather than closed captions, which can be turned on and off. We like the fact that they have put extra effort into manually adding and aligning these captions. To improve this a step further, they could add background noises such as [music] into the open caption transcript.
4. British Gas
8/10
This advert starts with a powerful voiceover that says ‘You can do this, believe.’ This is followed by the journey of Tom Daley, Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Ellie Simmonds. We love the playful contrast of each athlete being shown in their focused, pre-performance head space, followed by light-hearted scenes of them doing everyday Sunday tasks such as loading the dishwasher in a knitted jumper, washing their car and baking. This subtly links into the video description and marketing message, which states ‘Power your Sunday with positive energy.’
Ellie Simmonds is a British Paralympic swimmer who won two gold medals in the 2008 Paralympics in Bejing. We love that the Olympic and Paralympic games are equally focused, with the logo for each displayed equally on either side of the British Gas Logo in the final shot.
In terms of accessibility, British Gas has enabled closed captions on this video, which is an accessibility tick in our eyes. However, the captions are slightly off in some places, suggesting that they have chosen to use auto-generated captions.
For example, the closed captions state [clapping] when, in fact, there is no clapping, and there are a couple of spelling mistakes. Therefore, to improve accessibility and understanding for those who may be hard of hearing or Deaf, they could add captions manually by uploading an SRT file.
5. Danone
7/10
This advert focuses on the bigger picture, using phrases such as ‘equal number of men and women’ and ‘more inclusive, interactive and sustainable.’ This suggests that they are targeting inclusivity in all aspects of life, from gender to abilities, while also considering sustainability. This portrays their company values and taps into their B-Corp status and vision. The advert shows video clips of people of all ages, ethnicities, and disabilities, either taking part in sports or celebrating life in some way. We like that Danone has taken the time to consider and portray inclusivity from all angles.
In terms of accessibility, the advert has open captions that have been manually added to the video in perfect timing. However, the placement of these captions could be raised a little so that the play bar does not overlap them and make them difficult to read. Although, closed captions are also enabled, which offers text placed higher up over the video.
Overall, we love that this advert focuses on the bigger picture when it comes to inclusivity.
6. Allianz
7/10
This understated, heartfelt advert made us feel as if we were in the lives of real people. It shows clips of various French athletes training, talking, celebrating heartfelt moments, supporting each other with injuries, and giving each other pep talks. Only one Paralympian is featured in this advert, so we felt that a little more representation of the Disabled community would benefit it in terms of inclusivity.
Auto-generated closed captions are available in French, and settings can be changed to English. However, not all speech is captured by the auto-generated captions, and so again, the video would benefit from a little extra time spent manually adding closed captions. On the other side, we love the message ‘everyone needs someone to lean on’ at the end of the advert and how this ties into the marketing message that Allianz ‘supports and prepares you for the future too’. We were also pleased to see more Paralympic features when we checked out their social media, such as this reel showcasing and promoting tickets for ‘blind football’.
7. Natwest
7/10
This lively, humorous advert holds the message ‘Tomorrow begins today’. This relates to Natwest’s statement in the description ‘Whatever your goals, let’s get going’ and plays on achieving goals as part of the product/service placement. The advert shows a runner starting her journey, with the rest of her community following and joining her as she runs. Three athletes are shown, none of which are Paralympians which is why we have given this video a slightly lower rating. However, a wheelchair user can be seen following the runner at a fast pace, and even daring to move under a car that another athlete has power lifted, which shows inclusivity within the cast has been thought about.
In terms of accessibility, closed captions are available. However, similar to some of the adverts above, they are auto-generated and not in the correct timing/are misspelt in some cases. Therefore, the video would benefit from having manually added captions to improve accessibility.
8. Channel 9 Australia
5/10
We love this emotionally charged advert that also has an element of playfulness. It uses the song ‘Down Under,’ which reflects Australia’s character and roots with fun lyrics such as ‘gave me a Vegemite sandwich.’ The advert features shots of athletes and animals in Australia’s stunning scenery, as well as athletes performing and celebrating victories.
However, we were disappointed that no Paralympic athletes were featured in the advert, which has plenty of time in the 2-minute 30-second advert. Also, we noticed that closed captions had been disabled, although this may be down to the channel that uploaded the video rather than the producers themselves. Whilst we love the energy of this advert, it does not perform in terms of inclusivity and accessibility as well as we hoped for.
Accessibility and Representation at Paris 2024
Advertising now considers the representation of the Disabled community more than ever before. This may be supported by the fact that more people than ever are interested in and watching the Paralympic Games. A huge shift took place in 2012 with the launch of Channel 4’s first ‘Meet The Superhumans’ campaign, in which four out of five people said their attitude towards the Disabled community had changed following the London 2012 Paralympics. Since then, the popularity of the Paralympics has continued to rise, and we hope this continues throughout the 2024 Games.
When it comes to the Paralympics, it’s important to portray Paralympians as the elite athletes that they are, in the same light as you would do when it comes to Olympians. Disabled people have always been subject to two extremes ‘a pity and sad narrative’ and the ‘Paralympian dream, superhumans and inspirational’. It’s important to have an authentic representation of this community, and the best way to make sure you’re doing this in the right way is by working and listening to the Disabled community.
Conclusion
Inclusivity and representation of people with disabilities are now at the forefront of successful marketing campaigns. Inclusivity is no longer an afterthought but something that most companies are actioning and integrating into their marketing strategies. However, when it comes to accessibility, there is still work to be done. Companies need to pay careful attention to details such as captioning and colour contrast so that everyone can access and enjoy the content. And if they really want to take it up a notch, they can consider providing extra formats such as written transcripts and voice-overs that describe the scene.
Have you seen any exciting, inclusive and accessible Paralympic Games adverts?
Comment below, we would love to hear from you.
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