Channel 4’s meet the Superhumans ad is spot on.

I  suspect I’m not alone in feeling total respect for Channel 4’s Paralympics, Meet the Superhumans ad.

It’s powerful, gritty and not afraid to show disability up close. There’s nothing sentimental or mawkish about it, unlike that very different Olympics ad I blogged about recently, P&G’s Proud Sponsor of Mums. Nor is it apologetic, squeamish or voyeuristic. Its honest story-telling approach works brilliantly.

Image from the official Channel 4 Paralympic site.

I also love the way it takes the viewer down one route – sporting prowess – then suddenly takes a side swerve showing us how injuries were incurred.

Hopefully the Paralympics and ads like this will have a lasting legacy as to how society views disability.

With the CIO no longer with us, ads like this are doing a great job in picking up the public information baton. Well done to Channel 4’s in-house creative team for producing something so iconic.

Oh and yes, the music, Public Enemy’s Harder Than You Think is a brilliant choice too.