Paralympics Australia takes aim at the four-year fandom gap

Paralympics Australia is tackling one of its biggest marketing challenges: keeping Australians engaged with its athletes between Games, rather than relying on a surge of attention every four years.

The organisation has launched a new national campaign through Publicis Australia aimed at turning the popularity of its Paralympians into year-round fandom, following research showing public familiarity, visibility and support decline between Summer Paralympic Games.

The campaign, 'Defy Limits', launched on 8 November across Nine, 9Now, Stan and QMS outdoor, with a two-year rollout designed to build interest ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics and Brisbane 2032.

The strategy follows a period of heightened attention for Australian Paralympic sport during Paris 2024, when more than 10 million Australians tuned in to watch the Games.

According to the September 2024 True North Benchmark Performance Report, the Australian Paralympic Team ranked as the nation's most loved national sporting team, ahead of 73 other teams measured.

But maintaining that level of interest outside the Games remains a challenge.

Research commissioned by Paralympics Australia in 2026, conducted by Sprout Research among emerging Para athletes, Paralympians, sports fans and supporters, identified a decline in familiarity, visibility and support during the four-year cycle between Summer Paralympic Games.

The findings have prompted a longer-term marketing approach designed to give Australians more opportunities to connect with athletes beyond major international competitions.

Brendon Harrington, general manager, brand, marketing and digital at Paralympics Australia, said the ambition was to turn the attention generated during the Games into sustained support for individual athletes.

“Every two years we see our Paralympians on the global stage and they become the most loved team in Australia. Our ambition is to build genuine, year-round fandom for Australian Paralympians. The type of fandom where kids choose to put up posters of our athletes on their bedroom walls,” Harrington said.

“We want Australia to see their athleticism and their humanity. Para athletes like Alexa Leary and Dylan Alcott have built fandom by letting Australians in to see their personalities and lives beyond competing.”

Other athletes featured include swimmer Alexa Leary, long jumper Vanessa Low, track athlete Telaya Blacksmith, archer Ameera Lee, powerlifter Daniel Bos, climber Sarah Larcombe, wheelchair basketballer Jaylen Brown and cyclists Kane Perris and Luke Zaccaria.

Rather than concentrating solely on sporting achievement or disability, the creative seeks to build familiarity with the athletes as individuals, showcasing their personalities, experiences and lives beyond competition.

Each athlete features in a dedicated 15-second film, with longer-form stories and social content planned as the campaign develops.

Harrington said the approach was also intended to encourage greater participation in sport among Australians living with disability.

“We hope Defy Limits will inspire sports clubs, coaches, kids and adults everywhere who live with disability to believe they can play sport and potentially compete at the highest level,” he said.

“We're inviting all Australians to follow the journeys of our Paralympians towards LA28, French Alps 2030, Brisbane 2032 and beyond.”

The timing also comes as Australia prepares to host a series of major international sporting events, including the Wheelchair Rugby World Cup in 2027, ahead of Brisbane's hosting of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Simone Waugh, managing director of Publicis Australia, said the campaign was designed to challenge perceptions of Para athletes while building stronger connections with Australian audiences.

“Defy Limits celebrates the human drive behind extraordinary Para athletes who refuse to be defined by the limits or expectations placed on them,” Waugh said.

“Through their stories, we hope to inspire Australians to question the limits in their own lives and imagine what else might be possible.”

The campaign will run across television, streaming, outdoor, radio, digital and social, with activity continuing over the next two years.

The longer-term approach will test whether the popularity of Australia's Paralympic team during major events can translate into sustained athlete recognition and engagement during the years between Games.