Every so often, a campaign comes along that doesn’t just grab your attention—it reroutes how you think. Channel 4’s 2024 Paralympic spot, “Considering What?”, did exactly that. It didn’t lean on sentiment or spectacle. Instead, it delivered something far more powerful: clarity. The clarity that these athletes aren’t here to inspire us—they’re here to compete.
Created by 4Creative, Channel 4’s in-house agency, the campaign flipped the usual script. Instead of focusing on disability, it asked audiences to consider what these athletes are really up against: the same unforgiving physical forces every elite athlete contends with. Gravity. Friction. Time. And it personified those forces as the real opponents—taunting, pushing, relentless. That shift in narrative was everything. Rather than leaning on tired tropes of overcoming, the message was direct: excellence is excellence. No asterisks. No caveats.
Visually, the ad hits with precision. We see wheelchair rugby player Aaron Phipps confronting a smug personification of Gravity, who reminds him that no athlete escapes its pull. It’s clever, cinematic, and strikingly honest. But the real strength of “Considering What?” is its cultural confidence. It challenges the viewer not with pity, but with pride. It invites us to admire these athletes not for surviving, but for striving—and succeeding—at the highest level of sport.
And it resonated. Big time. The campaign helped draw more than 18 million viewers to Channel 4’s Paralympic coverage, the network’s highest audience share since London 2012. On platforms like TikTok and Instagram, it racked up over 40 million views, especially among younger audiences who are increasingly fluent in decoding performative narratives. This campaign didn’t just find its audience—it earned them.
From a Canadian lens, it hits home too. We pride ourselves on inclusive values and celebrating diversity, but too often, our own Paralympic coverage still carries a subtle pat-on-the-head energy. “Considering What?” is a challenge not just to how we view Paralympic athletes, but to how we shape stories about them. It reminds us that great storytelling isn’t about exaggeration—it’s about truth, delivered with bold creative conviction.
At the heart of this campaign is respect. Not just for the athletes, but for the audience’s intelligence. It doesn’t explain or excuse—it trusts you to get it. And in a marketing world that often underestimates its viewers, that’s what makes it revolutionary.
“In a world of noise, smart ads don’t just talk—they listen. Catch you at the edge.” — Julian
