Bupa and ParalympicsGB – Health is

Client: Bupa

How did Bupa and ParalympicsGB create one of the world’s most accessible campaigns? They treated inclusivity as integral, instead of an afterthought.

Alongside Momentum Worldwide, Bupa and ParalympicsGB delivered 'Health is’ - an immersive takeover of St. Pancras International ahead of the Paris 2024 Paralympics, featuring UK Para athletes as they’ve never been seen before. ‘Health is’ reset the perceptions of health – by telling the stories of the Para athletes Hannah Cockroft OBE and Emmanuel Oyinbo-Coker not as competitors or disabled people, but through the relationships and interests that help them stay healthy. Showing the wider public that they have more in common with disabled people than they realise. Ensuring disabled audiences felt seen, Bupa partnered with experts to transform St. Pancras International into the UK’s first fully accessible media ad space. ‘Health is’ did more than just push the boundaries of accessible advertising – it set a new, inclusive standard behind-the-scenes. Across the whole production, crew members with lived experience of disability led the way, providing crucial perspective that’s often unheard. What began as a landmark, accessibly immersive takeover grew into a nationwide OOH/TV/digital/social campaign that exploded into the games themselves. The campaign blossomed into a lasting legacy. Bupa teamed up with the campaign partners to publish the Disability Representation Handbook, giving brands the blueprint for inclusive advertising. Channel 4 has since committed to making 100% of its ad inventory accessible by 2026. And JCDecaux have pledged to permanently integrate braille and accessible ad placements across St. Pancras.