CASE STUDY
Tokyo 2020/Inspiring Communities
THE BRIEF
We were bought in to devise & deliver a national media campaign during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic & Paralympic Games on behalf of UK Sport, The National Lottery, the British Olympic association & the British Paralympic Association.
Our activity needed to deliver the Partners combined objectives of engaging & inspiring the nation, driving local pride, demonstrating the power of sport in communities across the UK and thanking National Lottery players for their critical role in supporting Team GB & ParalympicsGB athletes and grassroots sport.
Activity
Our Inspiring Communities PR activity consisted of two core areas of activity – physical UK based ‘made for media’ events and an ‘always on’, reactive press office function to help amplify the successes in Tokyo to a UK audience.
We devised and delivered a series of 13 UK based, national media events across the country, throughout the Olympic & Paralympic Games which provided colour backgrounds for broadcast media to anchor their reports.
These events were crucial to demonstrating the real impact Team GB & ParalympicsGB athletes were having in their communities and highlighting the key people that helped get them to where they are today – from Kye Whyte’s coach, CK Flash at Peckham BMX Club to Maise Summers-Newton’s coach, ‘Coach Sharp’ at Northampton Swimming Club.
To support the media events, we ran a hugely successful, press office function throughout Games Time, which enabled us to capitalise & celebrate a host of major moments & medal reactions and provided high-profile benefit to National Governing Bodies too.
Our extensive relationships with key journalists allowed us to secure significant media coverage beyond traditional sport media including multiple hits on BBC Breakfast, Sky News, ITV, Channel 5 & Good Morning Britain, showcasing the inspirational affect athletes in Tokyo were having in their communities back in the UK.
In addition to media activity, we also secured and managed talent to help carry key messages at media events and organically throughout other moments during the Games.
The Results
- Following the campaign 1 in 2 people said they were aware of National Lottery funding of GB’s athletes
- The National Lottery achieved its highest levels of positive brand buzz since it’s response to the Pandemic in April 2020
- Contributed to an uplift in National Lottery players encouraged to continue playing and non-players to start playing
- Editorial coverage was attributed as the biggest driver of National Lottery funding awareness
- A significant increase in the British public feeling inspired by GB’s athletes, whether they win a medal or not
- Contributed to GB’s athletes being the UK’s third favourite ‘Team’ (behind the Fire Brigade & NHS)
- Secured extensive, national media coverage – featuring almost hourly on every major TV, radio & online news cycle during the Olympic and Paralympic Games – including multiple hits on BBC Breakfast, BBC Olympic Shows, Channel 4, ITV, Good Morning Britain, Radio 5Live, Channel 5 BBC Radio 4, Times Radio & talkSPORT
- Delivered a staggering 3,210 pieces of coverage (25.46 million coverage views & 159 million circulation)
