As the first athletes are officially announced to have earned a place within the Team GB squad for Tokyo, the British Olympic Association has revealed the campaign that will encourage the British public to galvanize behind Team GB. The campaign was developed alongside the Sports and Partnership Marketing team at Hill + Knowlton Strategies, one of the UK’s leading Public Relations Agencies and communications partner of Team GB.
The campaign aims to inspire Great Britain to unite behind Team GB at a time of heightened national division, by focusing on the UK’s incredible diversity. The message of the campaign is that just as Team GB only succeeds because of all the diverse athletes, coaches, fans and partners that come together as one, Great Britain only is as extraordinary as it is because of all the diverse cultures, backgrounds and opinions that exist across the country. ‘This Is What Makes Us’ celebrates all the diverse elements of Team GB and of Great Britain.
Launching the campaign the day before the announcement of the GB Sailing team, the first team to be announced for Tokyo, Team GB released an emotional film to introduce ‘This is What Makes Us’. The film features iconic images from across the history of Team GB, featuring the likes of Chris Hoy, Andy Murray, Daley Thompson and Mo Farah, among many others. Narrated by Olympic Gold medalist Kate Richardson-Walsh, the film demonstrates how the support of teammates, coaches, partners and fans has inspired our athletes to incredible levels of achievement. A poignant reminder of what we can achieve when we come together as a nation, and that more success is on the horizon.
Watch the campaign video here.
During a time in which the UK feels more divided than ever before, the celebration of ‘This is What Makes Us’ is particularly relevant. Mark England, said: “Team GB fans are different ages, come from different backgrounds, have different belief systems, but they are united by their support of the incredible Team GB athletes. Olympic sport has an unmatched ability to bring people together, even if in all other aspects of society, we feel extremely divided.”
Speaking on the campaign, Richardson-Walsh, said: “The support of our incredible fans, teammates, partners, and devoted coaches, is so special and inspiring both in the lead up to and at an Olympic Games. It really represents the best of what we are at a country. At a time when it feels like we need to come together more than ever, it’s been amazing to help celebrate all that makes Team GB and our nation great as we head towards Tokyo 2020.”
Josh Connell, Head of Content Publishing, London, at Hill + Knowlton said of the campaign: “There isn’t a brand more capable of uniting us than Team GB. At a time when Britain feels more divided than ever, ‘This Is What Makes Us’ is a reminder of our similarities, and a celebration of our differences.”
Team GB’s campaign to bring the nation together in unity and pride ahead of Tokyo 2020 will run through the next year as teams continue to get announced and the Games draw ever closer.
