15th May 2017
British Athletics launches #REPRESENT campaign
Members of the British Athletics team today called upon all sports fans to join them in London this July and August and #REPRESENT the nation as the “Summer of World Athletics” rapidly approaches.
#REPRESENT, a digitally led British Athletics campaign, has been launched with the aim of further cementing the bond between fans and athletes, with a particular emphasis on digital engagement thanks due in part to a new branding look and downloadable imagery and fan templates.
Uniting the athletes and the fans as one, #REPRESENT will be the official hashtag of the British Athletics team as they embark on the next Olympic and Paralympic cycle leading through to Tokyo 2020. Elsewhere, a newly refreshed website (www.britishathletics.org.uk) will fly the #REPRESENT flag with the new found objective of catering to all news surrounding official British Athletics teams, events and ticketing.
Spearheading the campaign is Londoner and five-time world champion Sir Mo Farah, who today sent a message directly to Britain’s athletics fans.
“Brits are the best sports fans in the world! You guys are so important for bringing success and having that home crowd cheering me on made all the difference back in London 2012.”
“Now I want every fan in the stadium this summer to be as loud as possible to cheer us to victory. The louder you shout, the louder you cheer, the faster we go!
It’s going to be an amazing summer of athletics and I can’t wait to put on a show back at my favourite stadium.”
July’s Müller Anniversary Games (Sunday 9 July) will offer a great opportunity for the campaign to be seen in its physical form, as fans descend on the London Stadium to see some of Britain’s stars in Diamond League competition.
Ahead of 9 July, fans have been encouraged to engage with the colours of the campaign by ‘representing’ from the stands to create a sea of red, white and blue, as many athletes fine tune their preparations ahead of this summer’s IAAF World Championships, from 4-13 August.
Sitting in prime position between the Müller Anniversary Games and IAAF World Championships are the World Para Athletics Championships, with London the first city to ever host both world championships in the same city and in the same year.
Beginning on 14 July and running every day until 23 July, the championships will see the likes of Jonnie Peacock, Hannah Cockroft, Richard Whitehead and many more return to the scene of their greatest triumphs and represent Great Britain on the track which hosted the 2012 Paralympic Games.
Hoping to compete at the World Para Athletics Championships, Kare Adenegan, a holder of five global medals at the age of just 16, added her thoughts on campaign, saying:
“I think the #REPRESENT campaign is a great idea – so many of the British athletes talk about how they were galvanised by the support of the British public at London 2012, and I’m sure with the aid of the campaign that this will continue to be the case for the years to come.”
To coincide with the rallying call for fans to come out and #REPRESENT the nation in the stands of the London stadium this summer, British Athletics, in unison with sponsors Nike, have also unveiled a brand new team kit which will be worn for the first time at both the World Para Athletics Championships and IAAF World Championships London 2017.
Speaking on the campaign, Niels de Vos, Chief Executive of UK Athletics, said:
“After consultation with athletes, coaches and staff, I’m exceptionally proud to see how the campaign has evolved into something we can be excited about as an organisation.”
“The importance of digital platforms are not to be underestimated – through social networks, our athletes regularly bond and interact with our loyal and ever-enthusiastic fans, and, with a fresh new branding front for the British Athletics team, #REPRESENT further lends itself to this.”
“In addition to the #REPRESENT campaign, the new British Athletics team kit also brings a great deal of excitement for both athletes and fans, particularly with three huge global events in the World Para Athletics Championships, the IAAF World Championships London 2017 and the 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships on the horizon.”
Billy Johnson, Director of commissioned creative agency Designroom Sport, added:
“Designroom Sport are proud to have worked in partnership with British Athletics to create a new, game-changing brand solution. #REPRESENT is a bold step forward that modernises British Athletics’ communications, speaking equally for fans, partners and the federation alike. We can’t wait to see the brand come to life during the massive series of athletics events in 2017 and beyond.”
Supporters can be kept up to date on all British Athletics team, events and ticketing news by signing up the official mailing list via www.britishathletics.org.uk. Exclusive #REPRESENT ‘Supporters Packs’ can also be pre-ordered via www.britishathleticshop.com.