Client: Coca-Cola
Sport has the power to be a force for good. From the impact it can have on athletes and viewers alike, to the ways sport can be used in raising awareness, challenging and transforming perceptions of certain issues, sport can bring out conversations “off field” by bringing people together “on field”. For athletes with intellectual disabilities, opportunity to grow as athletes and champion their skillset is vital in promoting inclusivity in sport. While the transformative power of sport can be evident in the lives of the athletes themselves, sport can also create powerful and exciting opportunities to break down stereotypes about people with intellectual disabilities. Coca-Cola has supported the Special Olympics for 50 years as a founding partner and sponsor, committed to showcasing the talent and potential of people with intellectual disabilities and the power of sport to bring people together. To spread this message of social inclusion, acceptance and the unique role sport can play in these conversations, Coca-Cola engaged BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions to produce a mini-documentary for them, to highlight the work of these athletes and showcase the importance of the Special Olympics in challenging perceptions of people with intellectual disabilities and engaging people in conversation around sport and inclusion.
The resulting film and campaign shared the story of two incredible athletes on opposite sides of the world, sharing their achievements in the Special Olympics and using sport as a language for a larger conversation.
