An October campaign from Paralympics New Zealand is based around a new TV commercial that the governing body has put up for sale.
The commercial features four New Zealand Paralympians – Scott Martlew, Nikita Howarth, Anna Grimaldi and Corey Peters – is shot in a striking, gritty style echoing the creative approach of so many high-end sports brand commercials.
The message is that New Zealanders don’t see Paralympians in many such adverts campaigns for big brands in Aotearoa because when it comes to athlete ambassadors and sports endorsers most brands overlook disabled athletes in favour of non-disabled stars.
Created by Saatchi & Saatchi, the campaign objective is to inspire Kiwi businesses to consider more disability diversity in their marketing campaigns and sport sponsorship choices.
Launched on 5 October, the hero spot runs through October in partnership with TVNZ and across the organisation’s social platforms and it is further promoted through out-of-home work with the support of JCDecaux.
The creative also seeks to drive viewers online to paralympics.org.nz where they can find further information about working with Paralympics NZ and its athletes and the copy states that the organisation is open to discuss all kinds of commercial partnership opportunities which will benefit current and future Paralympians.
“We set out to make an ad for Paralympics New Zealand, by replicating the type of brand commercial we’re all familiar with, showing high performance athletes fully focussed on their training programme – their goal in sight,” explained Saatchi & Saatchi CCO Steve Cochran. “In the process we saw these athletes train. Heard their stories of challenges. We witnessed an athleticism and attitude that is truly inspiring. We realised we’d made an ad that any number of brands would be proud to use. And we thought, why not offer it for sale?”
Jenifer Hunt, Commercial Manager at Paralympics New Zealand, added: “Paralympians find it difficult to get enough financial backing and often struggle to secure personal sponsorship contracts too. Asking companies and marketers to consider buying this TV commercial for their brand is a way to seed the idea of what Paralympians could add to their business and marketing strategies. A brand could purchase and use the commercial in several different ways. It could be adapted for many products or brand messages or re-edited to suit a particular brand message. It could also be included in a broader commercial partnership with Paralympics New Zealand.”
The ‘Ad For Sale’ campaign was created for Paralympics NZ by a team at agency Saatchi & Saatchi NZ and it was helmed by Director Fernando Hart, with First AD Luke Wheeler, DOP Sebastian Court, First AC Viran Ranaweera, Gaffer Craig McDonald, Art Director and Set Designers Angus Kerr and Rita Soromenho, with makeup and wardrobe by Anna Hewlett, Runner Fraser Ambridge, Editor Pete Hansen and Grade Artist Mikee Carpinter, with sound design handled by Stefaan Van Leuven of Franklin Road.
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