Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka and Olympic gymnast Simone Biles have earned their place in the record books. While doing so, they have also helped to set a new standard for athletes by sharing their vulnerability with fans.

Marybeth Ledesma sees moments like this translating into a shift in advertising to show “a more unfiltered experience”. She says, “We’ve watched these real, raw moments happen at the Tokyo Summer Games, tennis matches, etc – and it proves being an athlete isn’t only about physical strength but involves mental strength too and how overcoming both at the same time can be hard.”

Campaigns are now recognising the enormous sacrifice that comes along with sporting excellence. Droga5’s Olympics campaign for Team Canada and Lululemon opens to a solitary athlete training, and visibly struggling, while a voice over reads Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Selfish Giant’.

Lululemon: The Selfish Giant

Droga5, New York

Channel 4: Super. Human

4Creative, London

A notable example of the shift in perception over the last ten years can be seen in the groundbreaking campaigns for the Summer Paralympics created for UK TV station, Channel 4. ‘Meet the Superhumans’ blasted across every media channel available ahead of the London 2012 Games and transformed perceptions of what had been the overlooked follow up to the Olympics.

Intersport/Nike: You Never Sport Alone

We Are Pi, Amsterdam

This feature is from Lurzer’s Archive Volume 02/2022

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Ten years later, and while an equally powerful campaign for the postponed 2020 Paralympics still celebrates the incredible achievements of the athletes, “Super. Human” also shares occasionally eye-watering and heartbreaking detail of the injuries and sacrifices they go through to achieve their goals. What was a relatively brief reference in the 2012 campaign, has become the heart of the latest one.

Part of this trend can be explained by the control Osaka, Biles and others have of their own public images through numerous social media platforms, allowing them to share stories and connect with fans directly, unfiltered by an ad campaign. “Today, athletes pretty much build their own brands before we even get to touch them,” says Jeff Schermer. For all of the justified complaints of overly curated content being shared on social media, fans are responding to the flaws, the bad days, the heartbreak of a life in sports, and importantly, a new generation of athlete is comfortable sharing those stories. “The unique thing about sports celebrities is that we get to see their ups and downs week in and out,’ says Owen Lee. “This vulnerability, overcoming hardship and personal setbacks are things that we can relate to and brands now feel more comfortable being part of that story.”

Alongside a shift in what we look for from celebrities, we are seeing a more rounded approach to fitness. COVID-19 has made us hypervigilant about our own and our loved ones’ health. It also made us see fitness in broader terms, rooted in physical and mental wellness and community, according to Alex Bennett- Grant. That doesn’t mean celebrity doesn’t play a role, he says, but “community is at the heart of it, like using celebrity athletes to drive community engagement and get people active.” Local heroes have a bigger role to play in advertising, says Nick Steel. “It’s not about being the best. It’s about being the best of you,’ he says. “A lot of campaigns are focusing on real people, real connections and real personal achievement because that’s the thing that inspires us.”

Celebrity is the cover story for deeper conversation.

Alex Bennett-Grant, We Are Pi

“You Never Sport Alone”, We Are Pi’s campaign for sports retailer Intersport and FCB Inferno’s long running “This Girl Can” campaign for government organization Sport England bring these themes to life in campaigns that use real people enjoying sport and fitness for its own sake, and also as a way to connect with family, friends and community.

Sport England: This Girl Can

FCB Inferno, London

Sport England: This Girl Can

FCB Inferno, London