Inclusive to the Core: Inside Bupa’s Immersive Tunnel Takeover

In a world that’s designed for the able-bodied first, considerations around inclusion are all too often brought in as a half-hearted afterthought. Surprisingly, this is the case even when it comes to something the vast majority agree is unique to everyone: health. According to consumer research, 42% believe there’s a ‘one size fits all’ approach to its depiction in media that neglects diverse body types and abilities, and more than one in 10 disabled people say they’ve never seen an advert featuring someone like them.

Challenging the lack of diverse perspectives and setting a new standard for accessible marketing design, Bupa and Momentum Worldwide launched ‘Health Is’, part of the brand’s partnership with ParalympicsGB and wider ‘This Is Health’ campaign.

The immersive takeover of London St Pancras International’s underground tunnel championed inclusivity both in front of the lens and behind the scenes. Para athletes Emmanuel Oyinbo-Coker and Hannah Cockroft OBE were shot by photographer and amputee, Sonny McCartney, not specifically as competitors or disabled people, but in a way that’s far more relatable: simply living their everyday lives. In addition to print, the message was also brought to life across braille and audio, with spatial narrations done by Samuel Parish, a voice over artist with high-functioning autism.

To delve into the process of crafting a truly inclusive campaign, and to find out how the experience will leave its mark on the team moving forward, LBB’s Zara Naseer spoke to Momentum Worldwide’s UK creative director, Jonny Kelly.

LBB> What inspired the concept of challenging traditional perceptions of health through an immersive experience? What insights were you working from?

Jonny> Traditional perceptions of health are outdated, as are traditional perceptions of Paralympians and people with disabilities, so we wanted to challenge these perceptions head on in a relatable and inclusive way to empower people with disabilities through their own perspectives.

‘Changing attitudes towards disability’ – a study from the amazing people at Scope – really informed the work. 

LBB> How did the partnership with ParalympicsGB influence the creative direction of the campaign?

Jonny> We have been working with ParalympicsGB for over a year now and have had the pleasure of working with various athletes across various campaigns, all of whom being wonderful humans first and exceptional athletes second. All too often Paralympic partnerships depict the heroic athlete and perpetuate a problem: unrelatable sport star, unrelatable disability. With ‘Health Is’, we wanted to make sure we represented the human behind the athlete with a more relatable depiction of both athletic excellence and people with disabilities.

LBB> Why were Emmanuel Oyinbo-Coker and Hannah Cockroft OBE the right choices to star in this campaign, and why was it important to showcase them in everyday scenarios?

Jonny> In Emmanuel and Hannah, we had two different ends of the sporting spectrum - Hannah already a multiple Olympic champion and Emmanuel being a young Paralympic hopeful with a dream but no guarantee of making the team. We wanted to reflect the importance of health no matter your life stage or stature, and that we are all in different stages of life with our own unique perspective on health. Their life, from their perspective - an authentic and relatable reflection of what health is to them. 

LBB> What work goes into ensuring that a campaign is truly accessible for people of all abilities? How did you test the accessibility of this campaign?

Jonny> A lot of work goes into ensuring accessibility. It needs to be given consideration from the outset and not simply become an afterthought. We kept accessibility considerations alongside creative considerations throughout the process, and worked closely with consultants from Purple Goat, ParalympicsGB and Bupa to ensure we created a highly accessible campaign. 

LBB> When learning about the wide-ranging needs of different people for this campaign, did anything surprise you?

Jonny> It was surprising how underrepresented and misunderstood people with disability are today; there is still a long way to go in transforming attitudes and understanding. 

LBB> In what ways did the team that brought the campaign to life reflect its audience?

Jonny> The audience for the campaign is broad and diverse, and so too was the team bringing the campaign to life. 

Each member brought their own unique perspective on health to the process. We also had the pleasure of working with photographer Sonny McCartney. Sonny’s talent behind the lens and unique understanding of life with a disability made him the perfect creative partner.

LBB> The campaign press release mentions that the braille elements translate the story in a way that feels inclusive to multiple communities, rather than simply describing what people may not be able to see. Could you expand on that? What does the braille communicate?

Jonny> Rather than simply describing what the visually impaired might struggle to see, the Braille creatively communicates the core campaign message to capture the attention of the visually impaired so they feel spoken to and included, rather than a last-minute add-on.

LBB> What was the biggest challenge you faced while working on this campaign, and how did you overcome it?

Jonny> The biggest challenge was making sure the work felt authentic and more of a partnership than a sponsorship. The team at Bupa really understood this, which allowed us to creatively prioritise this in the campaign development. 

LBB> Has prioritising accessibility for this campaign affected the way you see the world around you as it is currently designed? In what way? Will the experience change the way you work moving forward?

Jonny> Yes. Since delivering this campaign I’ve become much more aware of how many environments and advertisements inadvertently exclude large segments of the population - whether due to physical, sensory or cognitive barriers. 

This campaign has taught me that accessibility isn't just about following guidelines - it's about truly understanding and empathising with all users, ensuring that everyone can engage with the message being communicated.

Moving forward, I think considering accessibility from the very beginning of a project - ensuring it’s not just an afterthought but a core element of the creative process - is super important. Striving to create work that is more inclusive, not only in terms of design but also in representation, so that everyone - regardless of their abilities or backgrounds - feels seen and valued. A bit of a mindset shift that will push me to advocate for more inclusive practices, ensuring that accessibility becomes the norm, not the exception.