The Client:
Special Olympics is a global movement dedicated to empowering individuals with intellectual disabilities through sports, fostering inclusion, and creating a more accepting and inclusive world. Special Olympics GB currently has 95 accredited programmes in England, Scotland and Wales and provides coaching and competition opportunities in 27 sports. These programmes are run by over 3,500 volunteers who support more than 6,500 athletes with intellectual disabilities to take part.
In preparation for the Berlin 2023 Special Olympics World Summer Games, Montpellier were involved in creating a series of videos that highlights the inspiring stories of Team SOGB’s athletes, which helped build their social media engagement.
The Challenge
To raise awareness and promote the values of the Special Olympics, a unique opportunity arose to showcase Special Olympics GB on the iconic Piccadilly Lights in London. The primary objective of featuring Special Olympics on Piccadilly Lights was to leverage the prominent digital display to reach a vast and diverse audience in the UK capital. The campaign aimed to raise awareness about intellectual disabilities, promote inclusivity, and encourage support for Special Olympics GB.
The requirement for a specific format dictated that the video artwork had to be intricately tailored as a QuickTime file using the HAP Codec. This necessitated a meticulous understanding of the codec intricacies to ensure seamless compatibility with the display technology. Adding to the complexity, Montpellier operated under a stringent timeframe, with only a week to conceptualise, design, and produce the entire artwork. The tight deadline underscored the need for efficiency and precision in navigating both the technical specifications and the creative process.
The Solution
The design concept was centred around conveying the sentiments of participate, volunteer, and support. The dynamic nature of the Piccadilly Lights allowed for a multimedia approach, combining impactful visuals, inspiring action shots, and the three calls to action, strategically crafted to maximise impact and engagement.
The visual identity was characterised by a vibrant colour palette, the prominent display of the Special Olympics GB logo, and high-resolution images and video portraying athletes with intellectual disabilities participating in various sports at the 2023 World Summer Games in Berlin. Dynamic content, facilitated by the digital nature of Piccadilly Lights allowed us to present these video clips and images in full screen and panels of athletes, coaches and parents involved in the World Summer Games.
The Results
Special Olympics GB on Piccadilly Lights generated widespread attention and positive feedback. The dynamic and inclusive design captured the interest of passers-by and social media users alike. Placing Special Olympics GB on Piccadilly Lights proved to be a powerful way to amplify the organisation’s message of inclusion and empowerment. The design effectively utilised the dynamic capabilities of the digital display to create a visually striking and emotionally resonant campaign that reached a huge audience, contributing to increased awareness and support for the Special Olympics.
Tom Rawlings, Special Olympics GB Communications Consultant, said:
The Montpellier team did a fantastic job in helping Special Olympics GB maximise the opportunity on the world-famous screens at Piccadilly Circus, thanks to the invitation from our partners Ocean Outdoor.
Given that it was the first time that Special Olympics GB had received such a prestigious branding site in isolation, the brief given was initially quite loose. We had fantastic footage from the recent Berlin 2023 Special Olympics World Games, but it needed a call to action for people to follow as a result.
The Montpellier team knew exactly how to bring this opportunity to life and helped ensure that the lifechanging experiences of our athletes could be seen by such a captive audience.
Many of the athletes, volunteers and coaches made a trip into London to see themselves and make memories of when Special Olympics lit up Piccadilly Circus.
