When Channel 4 won the bid to broadcast the Paralympics in 2012, they set an ambitious target of making their Paralympics coverage the biggest event in Channel 4’s history.
Core to their remit with the Paralympics coverage is to bring about a permanent and fundamental shift in the UK of perceptions of disability and disability sport.
A very worthy and much needed change in the collective consciousness, I think you can agree. But how do you go about this seemingly seismic shift?
Well for a start, the aimed perception change is, at its heart, based around sport – always a great leveler. The recognition of the intended implementer of change is high. And the available channels of change are, perhaps as never before, numerous.
Game Changer
To ‘start the ball rolling’ – so to speak – Channel 4 have look at the best channels to engage with their audience and, unsurprisingly, selected digital as an essential part of their communications strategy.
Being that the subject matter in question is perhaps the ultimate in sporting achievement, and the channel for engagement is digital, it seems almost natural that the broadcaster should turn to one of the best game creators in the business – Preloaded – for a solution.
Preloaded‘s solution is a beautifully crafted online game of Boccia (paralympics.channel4.com/boccia/). The visuals are stunning, the game play feels natural, the games tension is really exciting – with different levels, difficulties and opponent types – and you can make it social with Facebook connect. Overall the experience is a joy.
As a strategy Boccia isn’t an Olympic sport, so helps represent the difference of the games (Paralympics and Olympics) and the importance of the different sports involve.
Boccia is a turn based game based on similar rules to Boules, but devised specifically for athletes with physical disability who require a wheelchair. The aim of the game is to throw leather balls as close to the target jack as possible.
Preloaded’s excellent work certainly makes for a great digital game, their craftsmanship and attention-to-detail is, as ever, second to none.
Mind Changer
So go play the game at: paralympics.channel4.com/boccia/ read more about the dev at: preloaded.com/work/boccia/, and lets hope that this obvious game changer could also be the catalyst for some serious mind changing to.
