The Canadian Paralympic Committee is reaching out to young athletes with disabilities in a new campaign showing the positive impact sports can have on their life.
Created by BBDO Toronto, the print, digital and broadcast “It’s More Than Sport” campaign is anchored by a 60-second spot housed on the organization’s YouTube channel. It opens on an image of a wheelchair racer at the starting line as a voiceover states “I only know one world… faith.”
The spot then continues with images of young parasport athletes training accompanied by an emotive piano and beats-led audio score as the voiceover continues: “I will not be stopped. I will not be moved. I will not be told there’s something in my way. I only know one word… faith.”
The spot then transitions from a close-up of a Paralympic swimmer on the starting blocks to the same person giving a speech at a school, as the musical accompaniment swells. The spot continues with images of the same disabled youth playing in a band, performing on stage and mentoring younger children. The spot concludes with the super “It’s more than sport. Get involved,” and directs people to the Paralympic.ca website.
Print ads show trophies representing “friendship,” “impact” and “opportunity.” The latter depicts a trophy featuring a visually impaired man with his guide dog, shaking hands with a man standing behind a desk, presumably after being given a job.
The site’s “Get Involved” portal also provides the necessary information for learning more about parasports, and connects individuals with local clubs and/or sports organizations catering to disabled athletes.
“Sport opens the door to many great attributes of life,” said Martin Richard, executive director, communications and marketing for the Canadian Paralympic Committee in Ottawa. “It builds character, increases confidence, encourages healthier lifestyles and offers a great social environment for them to simply have fun.”
“It’s More Than Sport” is an extension of an awareness campaign launched just after the London Games to capitalize on the heightened awareness of the Paralympic movement. It is intended to convey the message that sports is an option for every Canadian child, said Richard.
“We wanted to demonstrate to Canadians the impact that sport has,” he said. “We want to encourage more Canadians with a disability to get involved and experience firsthand the many benefits of sports.”
