Ocean Outdoor has launched an out-of-home Olympic GB athletes campaign tackling bias and discrimination and calling for fairer representation in sports.
‘This is What a Level Playing Field Looks Like’ features British athletes from three International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee recognised bodies – Team GB, ParalympicsGB and Special Olympics GB.
Combining sports action with original photography, the spot will feature British athletes across large format outdoor screens in nine cities ahead of this year’s Special Olympic World Games in Berlin (17 June to 25 June), with accompanying related content running until the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
In addition, footage from the Special Olympics World Games will appear on outdoor screens in ten cities, alongside an Ocean-led and Toyota-sponsored fan zone in Westfield London for a week.
The six participating British athletes are rower and World Cup silver medallist Kyra Edwards; silver medallist and European champion Kye Whyte (BMX); alpine skier and ParalympicsGB’s most decorated winter athlete Menna FitzPatrick MBE and her competition guide Katie Guest; and Special Olympics GB athletes Mitchell Camp and Lily Mills who compete in track and field and tennis respectively.
The two-minute spot follows a consumer research study which asked the public for their opinion on inclusion in TV, media and advertising.
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Despite being one of the world’s largest inclusive sport events – with over seven thousand athletes with intellectual disabilities due to compete at the Special Olympics World Games – the Games are still largely overlooked by mainstream media.
“The campaign will be an incredibly impactful way to shine a light on the continued fight for inclusion across all areas of society, and the role that sport and those who participate in it can play in raising awareness of key issues,” Special Olympics CEO, Colin Dyer said.
Ocean head of content and sponsorship, Kevin Henry commented: “This initiative uses the power of sport to speak to inclusivity, overcome prejudice and challenge the culture around marginalised groups. Our inspirational role models are the faces of an outdoor campaign to reframe conversations about fairer representation without limits.”
Team GB head of marketing, Carly Hodgson added: “The diversity of Team GB is reflective of the diversity of our nation, and we are proud that our athletes and their stories resonate with fans from across Great Britain.
“Telling these stories is an incredibly important part of celebrating both the athletes’ achievements and inspiring the next generation. We are proud to be supporting this initiative through our partnership with Ocean Outdoor, who share these values, along with our friends at ParalympicsGB and Special Olympics GB.”
Accompanying Ocean’s diversity and inclusion campaign will be a social media hashtag, #daretodream, featuring the British athletes as they train.
