It’s an Olympic/Paralympic year and in January the Great Britain Paralympics Team launched an upbeat, integrated fundraising initiative in support of its Rio2016 campaign called #Supercharge.
The objective behind the British Paralympic Association (BPA) campaign – it’s biggest public funding drive ever – is to generate support and raise team funds for the upcoming Rio Games.
The campaign hashtag #Supercharge is promoting the funding drive which occurs principally across across social media.
All campaign executions and strands drive viewers to make online (at http://rio.paralympics.org.uk/) or text donations (text SUPER to 70700 to donate £5) which the Paralympic Association hope will help fund the expenses for Rio and beyond.
‘Supercharge’, which has been developed pro bono by agency RKCR/Y&R London, is spearheaded by a short film highlighting snapshots of the team’s successes at London 2012 and challenges viewers with the line ‘How far we go depends on you’.
The creative features several star ParalympicsGB athletes – such as sprinter Jonnie Peacock, powerlifter Ali Jawad and tennis player Jordanne Whiley – who not only appear in the campaign assets, but also amplify the initiative across their own social channels.
Hubbed around the central #SuperCharge website at http://rio.paralympics.org.uk/ and http://paralympics.org.uk/supercharge the promotion is led by a spearhead film rolled out on 6 January.
Thee features incredible athletes training and competing hard to inspire the nation, challenge perceptions and help create a better world for disabled people – set to Coldplay’s ‘Amazing Day’ (thee band who closed the Paralympic 2012 Games).
Supercharge continues across Paralympics GB’s social platforms such as Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter with action-led images and call-to-domate messaging,
We need your support to be the best we can be on the final leg of our journey: https://t.co/XGyTb0vCSZ #Supercharge pic.twitter.com/fd7kaUAHPh
— ParalympicsGB (@ParalympicsGB) January 7, 2016
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plus supporting video,
With your help to Supercharge @ParalympicsGB's success we can inspire the nation… #Supercharge
https://t.co/ahonjWsHpG
— ParalympicsGB (@ParalympicsGB) January 7, 2016
and Vines
We're training hard, with your help to #Supercharge our success we can inspire a nation: https://t.co/XGyTb0vCSZ https://t.co/hHTr8N53JD
— ParalympicsGB (@ParalympicsGB) January 10, 2016
plus individual athlete imagery
Five @ParalympicsGB hopefuls have spoken to @BBCSport about their hopes for Rio https://t.co/UuAO4h46A1 #Supercharge pic.twitter.com/YkSsakGF4I
— ParalympicsGB (@ParalympicsGB) January 8, 2016
The campaign is also being amplified across the athlete’s own social channels,
Sign up to #Supercharge to hear how more about how you can support @ParalympicsGB this year https://t.co/opc0dU2bQS #RoadToRio
— Hannah Cockroft MBE (@HCDream2012) January 7, 2016
Very proud to be supporting the @ParalympicsGB Supercharge campaign! Help get behind the team on our #RoadToRio pic.twitter.com/AAnSftlOof
— Charlotte Henshaw (@CHenshawGB) January 7, 2016
and by individual sport’s governing bodies too: including British Rowing and British Judo.
All assets ultimately drive consumers and supporters to the My Donate transactional platform or to donate via text (text SUPER to 70700).
Supercharge is also being backed by the BPA’s existing commercial sponsors and by several high-profile ambassadors.
These include Clare Balding, Eddie Izzard and Alex Brooker who are all rallying public support for the team.
BBC sport broadcaster Balding said that for ParalympicsGB to match its London Games success ‘they will need to make sure that everything they do is world-class so that they can produce those world class performances’.
‘ParalympicsGB will absolutely enthral and excite the British public again this summer,’ adds Balding. ‘But to do so they will need to make sure that everything they do is world-class.’
While actor, comedian, diversity supporter and marathon runner Eddie Izzard called on the public to ‘get behind the team and help to fund their success through donations and fundraising’.
Alex Brooker, who is co-presenter on Channel 4’s Paralympic programme ‘The Last Leg’ adds: ‘The Paralympics in London were amazing, but the Paralympics in Rio looks set to be even more so. I can’t wait for this summer so that I do my bit to support and promote the ParalympicsGB team on Channel 4, but the public can help support them now’.
According to Tim Hollingsworth, the BPA chief executive, the organisation has incredible support already from the National Lottery and UK Sport, but the crucial final part of the journey to Rio requires as much funding as possible to ensure the team are ready for success.”
‘The team needs as much support and preparation as possible in the final crucial months of preparation to win those medals and ensure Great Britain continues to be a leading force in Paralympic sport over the next decade,’ adds Paralympic legend and BPA patron Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson.
Comment
The BPA is a registered charity backed by the National Lottery and the BPA’s commercial partners.
Whilst it has historically received public fundraising support, the aim here is for ‘Supercharge’ to take this to the next level.
Supercharge is an inspiring campaign led by powerfully imagery and iconic, elite athletes and it continues the recent spate of powerfully emotive Paralympic campaigns that began with Channel 4’s award winning ‘Superhumans’ at London 2012 (see case study) and its 2015 teaser update (see case study), as well as the International Paralympic Committee’s own Doha 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships Beyond Incredible / My Incredible Stories campaign back in September (see case study).
Links
Supercharge Website:
http://paralympics.org.uk/supercharge
Paralympics GB Rio Site:
http://rio.paralympics.org.uk/
Paralympics GB YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/user/ParalympicsGB
Paralympics GB Website:
Paralympics GB Twitter:
https://twitter.com/ParalympicsGB
Paralympics GB Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/paralympicsgb/
Paralympics GB Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/paralympicsgb_official/
RKCR/Y&R London:
