The spot is a game of two halves, opening with a cheerful animated world set to Paul McCartney’s saccharine track We All Stand Together. Athletes are shown frolicking among fluffy clouds and flowers, and supporting one another.

This all comes crashing down in part two though, which is instigated as taekwondo athlete Amy Truesdale is kicked in the chest and crashes to the mat, and everything lurches into the real world of the games, which are filled with grunts, clashes and sweat.

The ad is directed by Sam Gainsborough via BlinkInk, and was created by adam&eveDDB’s London and New York offices in partnership. It has been launched to mark the 100-day countdown to the Paris Paralympic Games.

The aim of the campaign is to shine a light on the seriousnesss of today’s Paralympic Games, which have grown from a small gathering of injured war veterans to becoming the world’s third largest sporting event, watched by billions of TV viewers.

“But despite its stratospheric growth there are many who still see the Paralympics as first and foremost an idyllic event where the athletes are just carefree and happy to be there,” says Craig Spence, chief brand and communications from the International Paralympic Committee. “adam&eveDDB’s new film debunks this myth in the most fun and creative way possible.”

“When people talk about the athletes taking part in the Olympics, they tend to talk about them competing and yet when they talk about them taking part in the Paralympics, they talk more about them participating,” continues Richard Brim, global CCO at adam&eveDDB. “What is that about?”

Credits:
Agency: adam&eveDDB New York & London
CCO: Richard Brim
ECDs: Daniel Bonder, David Brown
Associate Creative Directors: Chris Brailey, Rafa Oliveira – Associate Creative Director
Head of adam&eve Studios NYC: Niko Brown
Studio Manager: Tommy Lombardi
Senior Editors: Melinda Pinecone, Mark Smith
Junior Designer: Leo Pellegrini
Production: cain&abelDDB
Editors: Can Yagan, Yasmine Lahouag
Production Company: Blinkink
Director: Sam Gainsborough
Lead 2D Animator: Reg Isaac
Animators: Yagiz Misirli, Tugrul Tiryaki, Laura Nailor, Andrea Simonti, Marc Valls, Weiden Wong
2D FX Animation: George Johnson
Edit House: Cabin
Editor: Dusten Zimmerman
Assistant Editors: Maura Kent, Joe Carugati
Sound Design: Wave Studios