RISING PHOENIX
Developing a powerful commercial strategy for the release and activation of Harder Than You Think’s Emmy Award-winning Netflix documentary.
Strategy
Activation
Rights Management
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THE CHALLENGE
In 2020, Harder Than You Think Productions launched Rising Phoenix, an Emmy Award-winning Netflix documentary that traces the Paralympic journey from its post-WWII origins to a global sporting force, featuring elite athletes like Bebe Vio and Tatyana McFadden to underscore the power of sports to drive social change.
Harder Than You Think Productions appointed us as their commercial partner to build on this momentum. We were tasked with securing commercial brand support and acting as their lead activation partner ahead of the Paris 2024 Games for their accompanying content releases: Rising Phoenix: Road to Tokyo, Rising Phoenix: A New Revolution, and the What Does it Take podcast series.
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OUR SOLUTION
We developed a robust commercial strategy to sit alongside Harder Than You Think’s content release and activation plan to achieve their revenue objectives and partner with powerful brands to raise awareness and credibility.
In response, global brands Procter & Gamble and adidas signed on as partners for 2024, strategically activating their partnerships to align with the Games and further champion inclusivity and representation in sports.
Alongside leading the commercial negotiations, we led the conception and execution of Harder Than You Think’s brand activation before, during, and after the Paralympics. This included integrating Rising Phoenix into external events, employee engagement moments, and more.
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SHOWCASING INCLUSIVITY AT PARIS 2024
Rising Phoenix’s platform expanded to include multiple media and event activation platforms throughout Paris 24.
During the Olympic and Paralympic Games, adidas leveraged Rising Phoenix to drive messages of inclusivity. We designed and managed an installation as part of the adidas activation at Les Halles for consumers, who were also able to attend a panel with Rising Phoenix co-founder Greg Nugent and Paralympic athlete Lauren Steadman at the adi House to gain insights on the filming process and the Paralympic movement.
Additionally, adidas France employees were invited to a private screening of the latest Rising Phoenix film to demonstrate their commitment to supporting people with disabilities.
17 sport’s role
01
02
Activation planning and development
Production and adidas activation
THE IMPACT
1. NEW CORPORATE SPONSORS
P&G and adidas came on board as the first Rising Phoenix commercial partners, providing both funding and activation support.
2. EXPANDED ASSET PORTFOLIO
Rising Phoenix’s platform expanded to include multiple media and event activation platforms leading up to and during Paris 2024 (e.g. What Does it Take podcast).
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“We often joke that our company, Harder Than You Think, couldn’t be more aptly named, because sometimes our work really does feel impossible. But the heart of our mission—to change the way the world thinks about disability equality through the power of sport—lies in forging strong partnerships. Among these, 17 Sport has been one of the most essential. Their support in helping us secure and activate commercial partnerships has been pivotal and will play an even greater role going forward as they continue to help us activate Rising Phoenix.”
Greg Nugent,
Founder, Harder Than You Think
