Get Active to Donate Light for New IOC Campaign

Forget 'let there be light' - the International Olympic Committee are encouraging consumers to work a little bit harder and 'become the light' in the run-up to the 2018 Winter Olympics Games.

Created by Publicis London and POKE in partnership with the UN Refugee Agency, the new campaign invites participants to donate their physical activity, measured through popular fitness apps like Strava and Fitbit, via the Olympic Channel hub. The IOC will then convert the 'sparks' into providing solar-powered lighting solutions for the Mahama Refugee Camp in Rwanda. It's hoped the campaign will help to tackle the growing issue of light poverty which affects 1.2 billion people around the world, in particular those in refugee camps, where for a staggering nine out of ten people, the day simply ends at sunset.

To promote the campaign, a quartet of PSAs directed by Jaron Albertin through Smuggler will be broadcast around the world in collaboration with the official Olympic broadcasters, as well as on the Olympic Channel for the duration of the Winter Olympics. They include a 90-second anthem film, below, plus three 30-second spots inspired by the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect.

People will also be able to track their physical contribution and overall progress of the campaign on the Olympic Channel hub via the Olympic+ functionality as well as connecting through fitness tracker apps to track and record their physical activity.

“Working with the IOC and UNHCR has been a huge privilege and we’re incredibly proud of the work we’ve created for this campaign,"" says Nick Farnhill, CEO, Publicis London and POKE. ""Not only is it beautifully crafted but its objective is to deliver real good in the world and hopefully transform lives. It’s been a huge effort from everyone involved and we can’t wait to see the positive impact we hope it makes when live.""