Inclusivity has been a major theme of this summer. We’ve had arguably one of the best Paralympic games to date, from the perspective of both an attendee and as someone who worked closely on the Channel 4 ‘Considering What?’ campaign this year. I don’t think there is a more unifying and inclusive atmosphere than that of the Olympics and Paralympics, and it has been fascinating to observe how much cultural attitudes have changed.

The month of September offers the opportunity to realign and refresh priorities, ready to end the year on a positive note. It also brings with it National Inclusion Week, which for many brands and employers has crept up by surprise. As we start to think about our marketing strategies for 2025, it’s the perfect opportunity to take notes from the recent Paralympics Games, to understand why inclusion should be central to your brand’s values, and in turn, is reflected in the work you produce.

Shifting the narrative

The disabled community in the UK is a significant and powerful demographic. We are often overlooked by traditional marketing strategies, despite around 20% of the UK’s population having some form of disability. It’s sad to acknowledge that for instance, just 4% of TV adverts show a person with a disability. However, brands like Channel 4 have spearheaded a cultural change in the visibility of disabled people in their marketing and general programming.

Whilst many brands want to create more progressive, inclusive, and forward-thinking advertising, barriers still remain. How can they avoid looking tokenistic and how can they know what will truly resonate to avoid backlash later down the road? These questions require humility in approach and vulnerability to want to understand what makes a genuinely inclusive campaign. You won't have all the answers but connecting with enough people with the lived experiences will be a step closer to achieving real authenticity.

The iconic ‘Superhumans’ campaign first shown during London 2012 and built on in the subsequent Games, initially served a purpose — in helping the public perceive the Games as equal to one another, while changing ingrained perceptions of what is possible for those with a disability. While this campaign was highly successful at the time, and still has a powerful enduring legacy, a lot has changed in the 12 years since.

We have evolved how we talk about disabled people and, crucially, how we represent them. And so when endeavouring to create a campaign with Channel 4 for this year’s Paralympics, it was important to reflect and revise.

We’re proud to have worked with Channel 4 on their recent campaign which reimagined how the Paralympics was positioned this year and for future games. The research which informed the campaign, found that 59% of people said they watch the Paralympic Games to “see athletes overcoming their disabilities” whereas just 37% say they watch the Paralympics for “exciting sporting competition”.

From a polarised triumph over adversity to one of acknowledgement that all athletes are athletes -‘Considering What?’ has been able to showcase that the Paralympics are just great sports with athletes battling exactly the same conditions and elements, flipping the narrative to reveal how these competitors want to be seen.

The partnership with Channel 4’s in-house creative agency ‘4Creative’ required thorough research to bring the idea to life. We held a number of roundtables with a diverse array of disabled people, with a significant number being creators, and pulled various insights around attitudes to sport, the Paralympics, and thoughts on previous Channel 4 campaigns to date.

The work in progress was then fed back to the community at every stage, as the creative output was being developed to ensure a well-rounded campaign that resonated and landed.

Asking the right questions

Taking the time to consult the community can bring up all sorts of surprising results that challenge perceptions and give brands a leg up on others sticking to stereotypes.

These types of inclusive campaigns could only be possible when you move away from perceived wisdom and put time into research and insights that throw up results contrary to what the majority believe, but are clear to the community when consulted at the forefront.

This can be reflected within your brand’s values too, by consulting your teams and asking them for insights before we even get to the campaign stage. Ensuring that your strategies don’t simply reflect those in the most senior positions, having diverse teams that are integral to decision-making and strategy sessions can eliminate the risk of getting things wrong and reflect what is actually happening in wider society. For campaigns to resonate with the public, they need to reflect real people, from all walks of life.

Building authentic connections that last

The Paralympics was a powerful opportunity for brands to create something that reframes how we think about disability sport in society. To challenge preconceptions and stereotypes with creativity, humour and most importantly - collaboration with the community at every turn.

We’ve made great strides in representation across a number of areas - disability is an intersectional factor that we still need to work on, both in campaigns and behind them.

The industry desperately needs more disabled creatives and professional marketers that can deliver best in class work but also have that lived experience, and know how to do it authentically.

Diversity isn’t just a case of morals; the business case is clear and brands shouldn’t miss out on the untapped consumer base. To overcome any hesitation or lack of expertise, come and ask the community directly about what works. True inclusivity will come from being honest and open about where and how brands want to show up in the right way.