IOC launches next phase of Refugee Olympic Team campaign

The International Olympic Committee has launched the next stage of its campaign to support the IOC Refugee Olympic Team.

Appearing onstage today at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, refugee Olympian Yusra Mardini recalled her escape from Syria during the civil war and competing for the first Refugee Olympic Team in Rio in 2016.

Her appearance onstage preceded the announcement of the second phase of the IOC’s campaign, created by Gravity Road.

Previously, Gravity Road and the IOC released an animated hero film, “1 in 100 million”, which spotlighted 36 athletes on the Refugee team and the more than 100 million people displaced from their homes worldwide.

In the second stage of the campaign, global digital and outdoor executions will drive awareness of the campaign, as well as a TikTok promoted video campaign across Europe and the US.

As part of this digital campaign, Snap has produced a dedicated Snap lens, which reacts to fans making a heart shape with their hands. The motion mirrors the heart used in the team emblem.

Mardini said: “The message of this team is more important than ever. ​Refugees are normal people with dreams and ambitions. Refugees embody the Olympic spirit. Each athlete on the Refugee Olympic Team has overcome incredible odds to get to Paris. They represent the more than 100 million displaced people in the world. They are '1 in 100 million'.”