Paralympics Australia is hoping to turn its Games-time heroes into year-round sporting favourites, launching a new brand platform with Publicis Australia that puts the personalities and stories of its athletes front and centre.
Dubbed ‘Defy Limits’, the campaign aims to keep Australians cheering for Paralympians long after the closing ceremony, building on the huge wave of support generated by the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
The Australian Paralympic Team was ranked the nation’s most loved national sports team following Paris, with more than 10 million Australians tuning in to watch the athletes compete. But, as Paralympics Australia has identified, that enthusiasm can be harder to maintain during the four-year gaps between Games.
Its answer? Give Australians more reasons to get to know the athletes beyond their sporting achievements.
Moving away from disability-first storytelling, Defy Limits puts the people behind the medals in the spotlight, celebrating their personalities, lives and the things that make them tick, alongside their extraordinary sporting abilities.
The platform features 10 Australian Para athletes across a range of sports, with Wheelchair Rugby Paralympian Ryley Batt OAM leading a cinematic hero film.
Other athletes featured include Para swimmers Alexa Leary, long jumper Vanessa Low, track athlete Telaya Blacksmith, archer Ameera Lee, powerlifter Daniel Bos, climber Sarah Larcombe, wheelchair basketballer Jaylen Brown and cyclists Kane Perris and Luke Zaccaria.
Each athlete will also star in their own 15-second film, with longer-form stories and social content rolling out over the next two years as Australia builds towards LA28 and Brisbane 2032.
Brendon Harrington, general manager of brand, marketing and digital at Paralympics Australia, said the ambition was to create the kind of fandom that sees kids sticking athlete posters on their bedroom walls.
“Every four years we see our Paralympians on the global stage and they become the most loved team in Australia. Our ambition is to build genuine, year-round fandom for Australian Paralympians,” Harrington said.
“We want Australia to see their athleticism and their humanity. Para athletes like Alexa Leary and Dylan Alcott have built fandom by letting Australians in to see their personalities and lives beyond competing.”
Publicis Australia managing director Simone Waugh said the platform was designed to celebrate the human drive behind athletes who refuse to be defined by the limits or expectations placed on them.
“Through their stories, we hope to inspire Australians to question the limits in their own lives and imagine what else might be possible,” Waugh said.
The campaign launched on 8 November across Nine, 9Now, Stan and QMS out-of-home, with further activity spanning outdoor, radio, digital and social.
With the Wheelchair Rugby World Cup also heading to Australia in 2027, Paralympics Australia is hoping Defy Limits gives fans plenty more to cheer about between now and the next big Games.
CREDITS
PARALYMPICS AUSTRALIA
Angela Garniss – Head of Commercial, Communications and Brand
Brendon Harrington – General Manager, Brand, Marketing and Digital
Zoe Burr – Brand, Marketing and Digital
PUBLICIS AUSTRALIA
Simone Waugh – Managing Director
Simon Murphy – Chief Strategy Officer
Ryan Petie – Group Executive Creative Director
Jim McKeown – Executive Creative Director
Ash Kennedy – Creative Director
Carissa Jackson – Creative Director
Andrew Leftley – Art Director
Gen Matjevic – Client Partner
Sarah-Jane Ewing – Operations Director
Natalie Mitchell – Executive Producer, Publicis Production ANZ
PRODUCTION
Spry Films – Production Company
Brendan Schoenmaker – Director
Jason Starr – Stills Photographer
3P Studio – Post-production
