Bupa is thinking ‘Beyond the Games’ in new Paralympics campaign via Thinkerbell
Bupa’s latest work with Thinkerbell shows its commitment to inclusive and accessible healthcare extends ‘beyond the games’, building on its position as official healthcare partner of the Australian Paralympic Team.
The work is underpinned by a cultural truth – every four years during the Games, the world celebrates all abilities. Aussie Paralympic athletes inspire us to think and act more inclusively. But when the games finish and the spotlight turns off, many people, and most brands, switch off from the reality of life with a disability.
But for Bupa, the Paralympic partnership is just one part of an ambition to make healthcare more inclusive and accessible for every Australian. The business has been investing in accessible digital health services like Blua, developing its first Access and Inclusion Plan, and funding inclusive grassroots sports programs – so more Australians can get their start in sport.
The campaign features Bupa ambassadors and Australian Paralympians, Ben Popham OAM, Curtis McGrath OAM, and Shae Graham, in a way that shifts attention away from Paris, to life beyond the games back home in Australia.
Bupa and Thinkerbell have ensured an end-to-end inclusive process for the project – from strategic exploration, to creative development, to production. Key touch points included ambassador interviews, consultation with an external strategy expert with a disability, and collaboration with inclusive production experts, Inclusively Made.
This project was the first commercial campaign to be certified through Inclusively Made’s 100 point accreditation process, the learnings from which are being applied to all future projects at both Bupa and Thinkerbell.
Says Penny Ryan, director of brand, Bupa: “At Bupa, we are incredibly proud to be the Official Healthcare Partner of the Australian Paralympic Team – but equally so of our commitment to make healthcare more inclusive and accessible for our members. It’s a journey we are on, and we’re on it for the long run.”
Says Jim Ingram, national chief creative tinker, Thinkerbell: “The insight behind the work, and the quiet confidence with which it’s delivered, is sure to cut through in a time when athletic bravado is filling our screens. We hope it inspires more Australians to think more inclusively beyond the games too.”
The work launched nationally across digital, social, TV and OOH over the weekend. Bupa and Thinkerbell acknowledge the lands of Woiworung and Boonwurrung, where this work was created.
Client: Bupa
Agency: Thinkerbell
Media: Atomic 212
Consultants: Inclusively Made
Production House: Revolver
Director: Dani Pearce
Post and online: The Editors
Sound: Rumble
19 Comments
…budget restrictions. Those films are nothing but wallpaper
A once in 4 years visual glamorisation of disability or no creative visual and the no closing ceremony line. It’s a bit uncomfortable. and surely that makes a point?
Someone sure thought so because mere days later this appeared: https://www.cityam.com/disability-inclusion-should-not-end-with-the-paralympic-closing-ceremony/
A mere snippet of what starting a conversation could’ve meant around this great platform and line.
We’ve all been there, we can all imagine the egos involved.
Yup, leadership, sometimes ‘ain’t leadership.
Nice work
Bring on the Paralympics!
This outdoor looks like a brochure you’d find in a doctor’s waiting room
Disability doesn’t have a closing ceremony. That’s quality.
This is flat-out poor writing in the first. The CD on holiday or what? Fail.
@seriosly Tell me you’re not a copywriter, without telling me you’re not a copywriter. Disability doesn’t have a closing ceremony is a quality platform and line.
I can’t comment, because you smashed it. Lol.
move along
CHEP won the business.
What is happening visually in these films?
What did the writer even write?
Why don’t you care?
You ache to care for a week or so, don’t you? You stridently demand the glamorous visuals that make you care for oooh…7 days? Give me the visuals you petulantly demand. Gimmie, Gimmie, Gimmie the instant hit, that climax, that disability porn that means I don’t have to think what happens beyond the games. Try being a parent of a person with disability because in the 4 years in between let me tell you NOTHING HAPPENS.
What did the writer even write? Disagree.
As for the visuals? 100% agree.
And, as for why don’t you care? See the comment by Howitt below, they care because the line is pointing out that nothing happens between the disability porn of the games themselves every 4 years.
Yeah, I’m kicking back, I’m commenting, because I hate to see a great line squandered by the inept.
And anyone who cares about this industry should also care.
@olympiakos Agree. Disability doesn’t have a closing ceremony is a great line. @seriously Can’t take you seriously.
With respect, @nothing happens and @seriously, I’m with @Olympiakos on this one. Disability doesn’t have a closing ceremony is a quality line that any creative director, copywriter or strategist worth their salt would recognise. It takes a unique stance amidst all the celebration of disability that we see every 4 ideas. it’s perfect for a health provider. Given what looks like clear budget restrictions, I suspect a scenario in which an intractable client insists on muffling it with their versions of the same line instead of just letting it breathe.
Why not go live after the games end, and put your money where your mouth is? Afraid your message won’t be relevant (and your ROI won’t be as strong) after the closing ceremony?
@missed opportunity that apparently was exactly as planned hence the line.