Channel 4, Bupa and Purple Goat team up to support accessibility legacy from Paris 2024 Paralympic Games

28 August 2024

Ahead of tonight’s opening ceremony for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, Channel 4 Sales, Bupa and Purple Goat are launching an initiative to encourage the advertising industry to enhance the representation of disabled people long after the action in Paris comes to an end.

The Paralympics legacy initiative will feature an inclusive disability digital handbook with best practice tips and links to further learning for brands and marketeers. In addition, the partnership offers a training programme and six in-person workshops for marketeers to encourage brands to continually improve the representation of disabled people within advertising.

Complementing this campaign is a special 50-second spot which aims to highlight the disparity between the size of the UK’s disabled population and the level of advertising which features disabled people. It will air during tonight’s opening ceremony for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games as well during three key programming spots of the Games.  An on-screen pie chart starts by showcasing that 24% of people in the UK are disabled, before the slice representing this section of the population shrinks until it is almost invisible. A voiceover then points out that just 4% of ads currently feature disabled people, giving way to social media messages piling up on screen, asking “where are the disabled people in our ads?”. 

This is then followed by Bupa’s ‘This is health’ advert that features disabled people appearing in a realistic setting where their unique experiences are authentically shown. ‘This is health’ is inclusive and looks and feels different to every individual.

This campaign follows the launch of the 2024/25 brief for Channel 4 Sales annual Diversity in Advertising Award, with this year’s theme calling for brands to build the principle of inclusion and accessibility into their adverts. As well as building upon Channel 4’s ‘Disability Code of Portrayal’ which outlines its commitment and how it aims to deliver a step change in both the quality and quantity of onscreen representation of disabled people.

The campaign was conceptualised by Channel 4’s Creative Solutions team, developed with Purple Goat and produced in partnership with Sassy+, with the deal brokered by media agency, Initiative. 

Sophie Lloyd, Creative Solutions Leader at Channel 4 says: “The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games are always a proud moment for Channel 4, where we get to stand firm in challenging our own industry as well as wider society to be bold in empowering disabled communities. Working with partners like Bupa and Purple Goat who share our values underlines our commitment to increasing disabled representation in advertising, for the Paralympic Games and beyond.”

Angelique Waker, UK Brand & Marketing Effectiveness Director at Bupa says: “We’re happy to be partnering with Channel 4 and Purple Goat to support this campaign which aims to break down barriers by showcasing greater inclusion and diversity. As the Official Healthcare Partner for ParalympicsGB, at Bupa we continually work to raise awareness of the need for greater inclusion in our society, and we know from our recent research that many disabled people don’t see themselves represented in a normalised way. We hope that this campaign is a positive step forward.”

Purple Goat says: "It's absolutely brilliant to be working with Channel 4 and Bupa to harness the magic of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games to drive meaningful, powerful and progressive developments into the wider advertising and media industries. The more comfortable and confident we make marketeers to think inclusively - the more that translates directly into brands and advertisers delivering on that. We're excited to support in helping to drive this work forward together, with the disabled community front and centre of our work at every stage."

Stuart Whitehead, Group Director at Initiative, says: “Bupa are a proud partner of ParalympicsGB, so we’re really pleased to bring Bupa and Channel 4 together to highlight the need for further improvement in representing those with disabilities within the advertising industry.”

The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will be Channel 4’s most accessible Paralympics coverage to date, with its 1,300 hours of live sport, all featuring subtitles, alongside live peak time sport featuring closed audio description.