The campaign, created by Mother, includes a 30-second TV advert that ran on Sky Sports 2 and 4 during the UEFA Champions League matches last week and is supported by print and online activity.

The advert shows the 34-year-old double leg amputee from Nottingham putting Powerade ION4, the official sports drink of Team GB and ParalympicsGB for the London 2012 Olympic Games, to the test alongside two-time Olympic swimming medallist David Davies and world champion heptathlete Jessica Ennis on a special "sweat circuit".

It is the first time that a disability athlete has been used in a Powerade campaign, which Coca-Cola hopes will raise awareness about the Paralympic Games and change attitudes towards it.

George Wheen, brand director, sports and energy, Coca-Cola North West Europe and Nordics, said: "The Paralympic Games is one of the biggest celebrations in world sport and we are very proud to be an official partner at London 2012.

"It's really important between now and then we do everything we can to raise awareness and excitement about the Paralympic Games, and signing Richard, a Paralympian, will help us to do just that."

Whitehead caused a major caused a shock when became world champion in the 200m T42 race at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Athletics Championships in Christchurch last month in an event record of 25.88sec.

Whitehead admitted, though, some of the shine was taken off his gold medal when he was told just three days before the marathon T46 race in Christchurch that he would not be able to compete in his favoured event.

He has since lost his case in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to run in the marathon T46 event at the London 2012 Paralympic Games but has not yet given up on his dream of competing in it.

But despite the blow, things are looking good for Whitehead after BP announced earlier this month that they will be supporting him in his preparations London 2012 and that he is the first Paralympian to star in a Powerade campaign.

In October, Coca-Cola used Ennis to promote its calorie-free version of the sports drink, Powerade Zero, in which Ennis took on three boxing enthusiasts in another Powerade sweat session.

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