#FILLTHESEATS
#MeetTheSuperhumans and #WereTheSuperhumans are 2 of the more iconic hashtags associated with the Paralympic Games in Great Britain. Both are products of Channel 4's advertising campaigns for London 2012 and Rio 2016, and whilst they are both implicitly linked with GB's participation, they also suggest an ideal of greater resonance - all of the participants are 'Superhumans'. More on this later.
Channel 4 are also responsible for my personal all-time favourite billboard advert:
Channel 4 are also responsible for my personal all-time favourite billboard advert:
Once the Rio Olympic Games had concluded, the reflection started swiftly: Had the games been successful? Did the organisers fulfil their obligations? Were they the best games ever? Why were there lots of empty seats in the stands? etc etc etc...
For games of such magnitude (regardless of the sport) to be played to minimal crowds was an unfortunate initial impression of Rio 2016, however I was pleased to see the situation improve as the Games went on.
The press were quick to leap on problems associated with the games, including the funding crisis caused (allegedly) by using some of the Paralympic budget to top up the shortfall in the Olympic budget. Good advert for disability sport, eh?
Next came the headline of only 12% of tickets being sold - this is where I return to the notion of 'superhumans'.
My attention was drawn to another hashtag: #filltheseats
For games of such magnitude (regardless of the sport) to be played to minimal crowds was an unfortunate initial impression of Rio 2016, however I was pleased to see the situation improve as the Games went on.
The press were quick to leap on problems associated with the games, including the funding crisis caused (allegedly) by using some of the Paralympic budget to top up the shortfall in the Olympic budget. Good advert for disability sport, eh?
Next came the headline of only 12% of tickets being sold - this is where I return to the notion of 'superhumans'.
My attention was drawn to another hashtag: #filltheseats
Not only are Paralympians inspirational in their efforts and achievements in a sporting context, some are also now responsible for starting a seismic shift in the use of social media for a specific purpose.
The concept is simple - no sportspeople want to play or compete in empty arenas or stadia, so the London 2012 marketing director and 2 American Paralympian sisters decided to set up and promote a crowdfunding page to pay for thousands of Brazilian children to come and see the games for free, inclusive of transport and food. To make this an even more inspirational tale, the targeted children would all be eligible in future years to compete in the Paralympic Games due to some sort of condition or disability. A British campaign to #savetheparalympics has also agreed to join forces with the #filltheseats campaign to include even more children.
An initial funding target of $15,000 was smashed within a week and with the IPC fully supporting the campaign (along with celebrities such as Coldplay), it looks like 10,000 or more Brazilian kids will get to experience the magic of the Paralympic Games, thanks to the magic of 3 people and the generosity of the world.
https://m.paralympic.org/news/ipc-and-rio-2016-back-public-led-filltheseats-campaign-rio-2016-paralympics
My post has nothing to do with refereeing and everything to do with the kind of people that I will have the pleasure of spending 10 days with next month. Of course, spectators can create an unforgettable atmosphere for the players and the officials (which I remember well from being a spectator at the gold medal match in London 2012), but they are far more important to the players - it's where many teams or athletes get an extra shot of motivation, that final push to try and take the lead.
A new marketing campaign for tickets have now seen sales go through the 1 million threshold, including some sessions now being fully sold out. This is great news for the athletes, for the Games and for disability sport in general.
So now all that's left to do is for the children to #Filltheseats and #Meetthesuperhumans.
The concept is simple - no sportspeople want to play or compete in empty arenas or stadia, so the London 2012 marketing director and 2 American Paralympian sisters decided to set up and promote a crowdfunding page to pay for thousands of Brazilian children to come and see the games for free, inclusive of transport and food. To make this an even more inspirational tale, the targeted children would all be eligible in future years to compete in the Paralympic Games due to some sort of condition or disability. A British campaign to #savetheparalympics has also agreed to join forces with the #filltheseats campaign to include even more children.
An initial funding target of $15,000 was smashed within a week and with the IPC fully supporting the campaign (along with celebrities such as Coldplay), it looks like 10,000 or more Brazilian kids will get to experience the magic of the Paralympic Games, thanks to the magic of 3 people and the generosity of the world.
https://m.paralympic.org/news/ipc-and-rio-2016-back-public-led-filltheseats-campaign-rio-2016-paralympics
My post has nothing to do with refereeing and everything to do with the kind of people that I will have the pleasure of spending 10 days with next month. Of course, spectators can create an unforgettable atmosphere for the players and the officials (which I remember well from being a spectator at the gold medal match in London 2012), but they are far more important to the players - it's where many teams or athletes get an extra shot of motivation, that final push to try and take the lead.
A new marketing campaign for tickets have now seen sales go through the 1 million threshold, including some sessions now being fully sold out. This is great news for the athletes, for the Games and for disability sport in general.
So now all that's left to do is for the children to #Filltheseats and #Meetthesuperhumans.