Allianz France to the Start Line with New Campaign Leading up to Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games

Apr. 26, 2023

In the run-up to the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Allianz France launches new campaign by Ogilvy Paris. The campaign, in support of the Allianz Group's partnership with the International Olympic and Paralympic Committees and Allianz France's "Team Allianz", a tightly knit team of 8 athletes, puts the focus on the relationship of trust between the athlete and his or her coach, and, by analogy, between policyholders and their Allianz France insurer.  It recalls Allianz's raison d'être: "We secure your future".

The "Everyone needs somebody to lean on" campaign emphasizes the relationship of trust between an athlete and his or her coach. This unique relationship is revealed through the daily life of a coach and an athlete from the moment they wake up to the moment they train, all filmed in the style of a documentary.

In this film, an analogy is made between the constant support of the coaches towards the athletes and the Allianz insurance business. By allowing its clients to rely on the support of its General Agents and Advisors at every stage of their lives, Allianz France accompanies them much like a coach, day after day throughout France.

"Everyone needs somebody to lean on" marks the start of the countdown to Paris 2024. Fourteen months before the start of the international event, Allianz is reaffirming its historic link with the world of sport and in particular its worldwide partnership with the Olympic and Paralympic Movements since 2021, a period of eight years.

The film, by Ogilvy Paris, assigned multi-award-winning director Stuart McIntyre, known for his respectful approach to filmmaking and his talent for telling strong, emotional stories evidenced by his work for prestigious brands such as Apple, Adidas, NFL, Louis Vuitton…

The agency’s Chief Creative Officer and President, Matthieu Elkaim said:

"With his distinctive visual style and verve, Stuart captures the excitement, authenticity, and energy of each story."

 

Five athletes from Team Allianz, medal hopefuls at Paris 2024, are featured in this film: Clarisse Agbegnenou (judo), Carlota Dudek (breakdance), Juliette Lacome (surfing), Loïc Pietri (judo) and Typhaine Soldé (para-athletics), accompanied by their respective coaches.

This campaign reflects Allianz France's desire to highlight not only performance, but also preparation, support, and the importance of interpersonal relationships for success.

Recall, in 2016, Allianz France had already launched a campaign focused on the key role played in an athlete's success by his or her support team, which is often out of the spotlight - "Behind every athlete, there is a whole team" - celebrated its partnership with the French team at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

The campaign is further broadcast on TV in shorter lengths and diffused on social channels, namely on Allianz Le Vestiaire, Instagram and Twitter accounts dedicated to Allianz France's commitments to sport. All versions of the film are available on the Allianz France YouTube channel. There’s a behind-the-scenes video too.

Marie-Doha Besancenot, Head of CSR, Brand and Communications at Allianz France said:  

"Allianz is pleased to announce its partnership with the International Olympic and Paralympic Committees, and even more so on the eve of Paris 2024! This partnership is based on the brand’s long-standing commitment to the sports ecosystem, which goes back more than three decades. It also embodies Allianz efforts to promote inclusion. The key message of this film-manifesto is: " Everyone needs somebody to lean on", reminding us of the insurer's discreet but crucial mission, and paying tribute to all the actors of professional sport - from the headliners to the behind-the-scenes players who carry them to victory. Finally, the campaign message is directly inspired by the values of ‘Olympism’ and ‘Paralympism’, which are in line with Allianz's values of resilience, reliability and expertise, the very values that enable us to support and protect our clients daily,"

 

Christophe Dépont, Brand Director of Allianz France added:

''‘Everyone needs somebody to lean on’ intends to amplify the development of Allianz partnership with the Olympic and Paralympic Movements as a perfect illustration of Allianz France's commitment of excellence in supporting both the athletes and the clients we accompany daily,"

 

Stuart McIntyre, Director said:

"I was drawn to the Allianz project by the unique perspective Ogilvy creatives’ Linnea Kavsjo & Jonathan Baudet- Botelle brought to the script-- shining a spotlight on the shadow of Olympians and exposing their coaches. Individuals who are often overlooked but who put in the grueling amount of time, hard work, and mental strain to prepare the athlete to be their best. I approached the film with a focus on allowing viewers to experience these relations through a truthful lens capturing the mundane to frustrations and joy. To bring it to life, we filmed actual coaches of Olympian athletes while using their personal perspectives to guide the reality of the scenarios. This allowed us to dig deeper into their relationship and experience an emotional truth. I am proud of what we’ve created with the talented people at Wanda, Ogilvy, and Allianz."