Paralympics promotes triumph over tranquility

This new campaign for the upcoming Paralympic Games in Paris dismisses the conventional idea that the Paralympics is primarily about bringing together people with disabilities to participate in joyous sporting harmony.

Instead the spot, called The Paralympic Dream, emphasises the impressive athleticism of the participants, and the edge-of-your-seat competition that takes place during the event.

The campaign is a collaboration between the London and New York offices of adam&eveDDB and aims to cut through the condescending tropes, showcasing the Paralympic Games for what it truly is: a high-performance sporting event which serves as an arena for preeminent athletes to exhibit their fierce sporting talent.

The spot, which is directed by Sam Gainsborough through BlinkInk, starts in a dream-like animated world where athletes run, jump, fence and paddle. We witness loveable characters travelling hand-in-hand through a fantastical Paris as they frolic among fluffy clouds, flowers and a bright colour palette, all set to the sound of Paul McCartney’s 1984 anthem, We All Stand Together.

This saccharine imagery is then shattered as we switch to live-action and the British Paralympic taekwondo athlete Amy Truesdale is kicked in the chest and crashes to the mat and the animated world is juxtaposed with the harsh reality of competitive sports as we experience the grunts, clashes, sweat and triumphs of the true athletes that the Paralympians really are. 

“We’re super-proud of this piece of work for the International Paralympics Committee," said Richard Brim, Global Chief Creative Officer at adam&eveDDB. "When people talk about the athletes taking part in the Olympics, they tend to talk about them competing and yet, when they talk about them taking part in the Paralympics, they talk more about them participating. What is that about?”