Malaysian Mobile telecommunications provider U Mobile activated its role as the main sponsor of the Special Olympics Malaysia (SOM) team through an integrated campaign revolving around being ‘Unbeatable’ which leveraged the Special Olympics 2023 World Games Berlin and its own ‘Unbeatable Together’ theme.
Bringing to life the telco company’s umbrella strategy of celebrating the unbeatable spirit of Malaysians, U Mobile’s Special Olympic marketing campaign was part of a programme that included supporting the team of 39 delegates (16 athletes, six partners, 12 coaches, four officials and one healthcare professional) on its journey to Berlin for the Special Olympics World Games which took place between in Germany 17 and 25 June 2023.
As well as the campaign and financial support, U Mobile also helped the team stay connected with one another and with home by providing all members with U Postpaid subscriptions which included ultra-fast 5G and/or 4G data and free global roaming when they are away for training or competitions and equipping them all with new 5G mobile device.
The activation began at the start of 2023, on 13 January, when U Mobile dropped ‘The Unbeatables’ short film which showcased the unbeatable spirit of Malaysians. The stars of the film included Paralympic long jump gold medallist Datuk Abdul Latif Romly, artist Red Hong Yi, SUKMA boxing gold medallist Theena Thayalan, free diver Azua Shafii, plus World Pencak Silat Championship and SEA Games gold medallist Siti Rahmah.
Backed by additional spots focusing on individual athletes and a ‘Making Of’ film.
Immediately ahead of the Berlin Games, the marketing team ramped up its activity by rolling out a series of additional #MYUnbeatableTeam films.
The executions urge Malaysians to rally behind ‘Team Malaysia’ at the Games by posting their own personal words of support and encouragement on social media using the official campaign hashtags #UnbeatableTogether and #MYUnbeatableTeam.
These were led on 12 June by a video called ‘Cheer For Special Olympics Malaysia’ which sought to galvanise support for the team across the country and urged all Malaysians to support in their own personal way and were linked by the hashtags #Unbeatable, #UnbeatableTogether, #MYUnbeatableTeam, #SpecialOlympics, #SpecialOlympicsMalaysia and #UMobile.
This was followed by ‘SORAKAN: Special Cheers for Our Special Olympics Team’ and ‘Cheer for #MYUnbeatableTeam’ on 24 June
While additional social support included a series of online spots focusing on individual athletes from the team and ads urging Malaysians to find out more on Special Olympics Malaysia and their efforts working with intellectual disabilities communities by visiting www.specialolympicsmalaysia.org.
The Berlin Games marketing phase kicked off with a handover ceremony at the telco’s corporate office at Berjaya Times Square on 24 May 2023. During this ceremony, Chief Marketing Officer of U Mobile Navin Manian highlighted how the initiative was a natural fit for the telco’s own quest to ‘bring out the Unbeatable in everyone’.
“U Mobile is very delighted to have the opportunity be the main sponsor for the Special Olympics Malaysia team who will be participating at the upcoming Special Olympics World Games in Berlin,” said Manian at the handover event. “This year’s theme for the Special Olympics is #UnbeatableTogether and U Mobile is a strong believer of that ethos. We also hope that this partnership will help raise awareness of our incredible Special Olympians and foster inclusion for all levels of ability. In the spirit of that, we wish Team Malaysia a great time competing at the games this year as we will definitely be rooting for them” said Navin.
“I would like to express my sincere appreciation to U Mobile for their exceptional efforts in our partnership aimed at promoting inclusion through sports. This collaboration not only benefits the delegates participating in the World Games but also serves as a powerful platform to amplify the voices of change within the intellectual disabilities (ID) community. By showcasing this important message to the public, we hope to contribute to a better society that aligns with government policies and fosters a spirit of inclusivity. Together, we can create a lasting impact and bring about positive transformations for individuals with intellectual disabilities,” added Head of Delegations of Team Malaysia and Deputy President of Special Olympics Malaysia Dr Sivanesan Govindasamy.
Outcome/Results
Thus far the campaign has generated huge public engagement: for example, in 2023 it has notched up more than 20m views on the telco’s YouTube channel alone: including 13m for ‘The Unbeatables’, 2.5m for ‘SORAKAN’ and 1.4m for ‘Cheer For My Unbelievable Team’.
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The team activation was paired with promotional marketing for U Mobile’s ‘5G U Postpaid’ plans with content driving consumers to find out more about the offer at www.u.com.my.
This partnership is the latest iteration to U Mobile’s ongoing, umbrella ‘Unbeatable’ campaign.
The Malaysian Special Olympics athletes competed against 7000 athletes from 190 countries of countries in six sporting events – swimming, bocce, badminton, athletics, table tennis and bowling in Berlin between 17 and 25 June.
Indeed, June saw a burst of Special Olympics marketing across the world as governing bodies and sponsors leveraged local events and the 2023 World Games in Berlin which largely focused on championing the athletes and the themes of acceptance, diversity, inclusion, equality and a level sporting and societal playing field.
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