Jung von Matt shows the feats of athleticism of “invisible” para sport heroes. It creates striking scenes. The campaign, We the (in)visible, for McDonald’s Germany and Jung von Matt SPORTS advocates for greater visibility in para sports, by portraying “invisible” feats of athleticism in various disciplines such as wheelchair basketball, Para swimming, or Para athletics. Initially, the sports moments are shown in the film without the performing athletes – a basketball sails across a court by itself; a splash appears in a pool without the swimmer diving in; a scoreboard flickers in front of empty stands. Ss the film progresses, the invisible sports heroes are revealed.
Among them is Léon Schäfer, the current world champion and world record holder in the long jump for athletes with thigh amputation and the recently crowned Para Athlete of the Year 2023.
The digital commercial marks the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and is part of a wider month long campaign promoting the partnership between McDonald’s Germany and the German Disabled Sports Association (DBS).
It aims to promote greater visibility of Para Sports (which can sadly often be played in front of empty stands) as well as increased social participation by disabled people in everyday life and sports. The campaign breaks ahead of the Paralympics in Paris 2024, but the focus is not only on top athletes and competitive sports but also on inclusion in grassroots and youth sports. McDonald’s, with 1,425 restaurants in Germany and 1.6 million daily guests, believes it can make a significant contribution to everyday visibility, especially by providing reach and information about opportunities and possibilities.
As well as the hero film, the campaign will include digital out-of-home, online ads, and social media. Jung von Matt SPORTS has worked with McDonald’s Germany in the sports sector since 2018. The craft & production Unit of Jung von Matt HAMBURG also worked on the campaign, with video production handled by Sterntag Film and media planning by OMD Munich.
“We are proud to be the new partner of the DBS. Sport is a key factor for many people with or without disabilities to achieve greater social participation. Inclusion is also a crucial element in professional life. McDonald’s Germany was one of the first signatories of the Diversity Charter in 2007 because everyone is welcome here—whether in front or behind the counter,” stated Markus Weiß, spokesperson for McDonald’s Germany.
