Ahead of the Paris 2024 Paralympics, Apple issues a timely call about the importance of equity and accessibility in sports.
“The Relay,” created in-house, is the tech giant’s latest ad promoting its accessibility features. This film documents eight athletes from around the world competing in a four-stage, real-time relay race.
The group includes a cyclist with an upper limb difference, a wheelchair racer, a low-vision swimmer, and a blade runner. Some are contenders for the 2028 Paralympics in Los Angeles.
Apple’s film focuses on the grit, determination, and sacrifice of the competitors and highlights that these are qualities shared by all athletes, with or without disabilities.
It also promotes accessibility features on its devices that can help athletes train, such as Point and Speak on iPhone for users with low vision, and AssistiveTouch, which allows people with upper-limb differences to use Apple Watch one-handed.
Derek Cianfrance, the filmmaker behind movies including 2019’s Sound of Metal and 2010’s Blue Valentine, directed the spot.
