Pace Picks Up on Paralympic Promotions

Now that the Olympic Games have ended, fans are looking forward to the Paralympics, which will begin on August 28 in Paris. Commercial partnerships with Paralympic athletes have been on the rise over the past few years, generally taking the form of endorsements and brand ambassadorships rather than consumer products. 

Some examples announced this year in anticipation of the 2024 Games:

• In July, Bic South Africa signed Mpumelelo Mhlongo to a promotional partnership highlighting the 41% high school dropout rate in South Africa and the importance of providing resources to help students stay in school. Mhlongo, who was born with a congenital condition called constriction ring syndrome as well as club foot, is a track and field athlete for South Africa and is studying for his doctorate. 

• In May, e.l.f. Beauty teamed with swimmer Anastasia “Tas” Pagonis, who competes for the U.S. and is legally blind, for behind-the-scenes content about her story and her world. The initiative underscores the brand’s positioning as “a different kind of company that disrupts norms, shapes culture, and connects communities through positivity, inclusivity, and accessibility.” 

• In March, fashion label Scamp & Dude paired with British swimmer Ellie Simmons as part of its Super Scarf charity program. For each collaboratively designed scarf sold in its three London stores or on its website, another is donated to a woman starting chemotherapy in a British hospital. In total, the company has given away more than 43,000 of these “warm hugs” over the life of the initiative. 

• In January, Speedo added American swimmer Ahalya Lettenberger, who was born with a condition called arthrogryposis amyoplasia, to its roster of endorsed athletes. She will wear Speedo Fastskin swimwear in competition. 

In addition to these partnerships with individual athletes, a number of brands have announced deals this year with national Paralympic teams, including Uniqlo with Team Singapore and Skims and Fenty Beauty with Team USA. The latter two collaborations encompass both the Olympics and Paralympics teams, as is typically the case in the U.S. 

Brands and Paralympic athletes have been coming together in years past as well, but the pace is accelerating. This makes sense given the growing interest in licensing and commercial partnerships involving sports properties beyond the traditionally dominant players; the interest in women’s sports and newly founded leagues in sports such as cricket are examples. At the same time, brands are increasingly participating in collaborations highlighting their adaptive products and efforts to support accessibility and inclusivity for people with disabilities. The partnerships cited here fall at the intersection of both trends. 

While current examples are mostly in the realm of promotions and marketing rather than merchandise, such tie-ins are often precursors to consumer products licensing or collaborative capsules. It would not be surprising to see more merchandise collections leading up to future Paralympic Games. 

Raugust Communications’ monthly e-newsletter comes out next Tuesday, August 20, 2024. The Licensing Topic of the month will examine the recent expansion of Asian-headquartered retail chains of various types globally, including in the U.S., while the Datapoint research spotlight will examine licensing in the coffee category. If you are not yet a subscriber to this free monthly e-publication, please sign up here.