Channel 4’s 2020 Paralympic Games spot hails the 'Super. Human'

The ad, conceived by 4Creative, explores the sacrifices made by Paralympians to pursue their dreams of being crowned Paralympic champions.

Unlike previous iterations of the Superhumans campaigns, the film focuses on the fragilities and day to day struggles facing elite athletes – putting the emphasis on ‘human’ over ‘super’.

It opens with Paralympian Kadeena Cox in a dream sequence facing the pressure of repeating her gold medal performances from Rio 2016. But a starting pistol shakes out of the dream, and reality bites.

Set to the song “So you want to be a boxer,” originally from Bugsy Malone, which has been re-arranged and recorded, with a vocal performance by British artist Jay Prince, it also features a host of British Paralympians including: Ali Jawad, David Smith, Ellie Simmonds, Jody Cundy, newly crowned Wimbledon Ladies Wheelchair Doubles Champion Jordanne Whiley and Kylie Grimes.

The film, which will first air on Channel 4 and across all the broadcaster’s channels just before 9pm on Friday July 16th and will be supported by social media activity using #SuperHuman is part of a wider campaign. This includes press ads around the Olympics, a nationwide poster campaign launching in August and trailers running across Channel 4 airtime and social media across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

Channel 4’s Chief Marketing Officer Zaid Al-Qassab said: “Channel 4 has been instrumental in putting the Paralympics onto the world stage. Our award-winning coverage and epic marketing campaigns have possibly done more to help shift society’s perceptions around disability than anything else in the last 20 years.

“And our hope is that this powerful and provocative film will once again stir viewers and continue Channel 4’s legacy of challenging attitudes and giving a voice to those with disabilities.”

Lynsey Atkin, 4Creative’s Executive Creative Director, said: “Following the last two Paralympics adverts was no small task – they exploded attitudes around disability and became a part of our National Curriculum.

“Yet we spotted an opportunity to present Paralympians in a way they hadn’t been shown before – by pointing a camera at the realities of their lives, and, as with any elite athlete, the sacrifices they make in pursuit of greatness. Whether that’s defying medical advice, missing children’s birthdays, anxiety, repetition, getting endless blisters – collectively these choices paint a story of mental determination, not of disability."

CREDITS

Agency: 4creative

Production Company: Serial Pictures x Somesuch

Executive Creative Director: Lynsey Atkin

Deputy Executive Creative Director: Eoin McLaughlin

Creative team: Scott Taylor, Andy Shrubsole

Head of Production: James Turnham / Miketta Lane

Executive Producer: Shananne Lane

Campaign Producer: Louise Oliver

Designer: Sarah Jones

Production Manager: Will Breeden

Production Assistant: Sam Baker

CMO: Zaid Al-Qassab

Head of Marketing: Penny Brough, Nic Moran, Laura Ward-Smith, James Walker

Marketing Lead: Laura Woodcock

Victoria Cheng: Marketing Executive

Maya Padhya: Marketing Executive

Business Director: Jane English

Senior Planner: James Hamilton

Media Agency: OMD