Lisa Wrake | Experiential ECD
IOC AI Whitepaper Launch | Human Heartbeats London 2024
A global broadcast and live event designed to humanise the IOC’s AI agenda ahead of the Paris Olympics.
Ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, we partnered with the International Olympic Committee to launch their global AI Agenda at London’s Olympic Velodrome.
This was the first time the IOC had worked with us, and the challenge was significant: translate a complex, future-facing white paper into a live experience and broadcast moment that would resonate with global media, stakeholders and audiences.
Delivered in just nine weeks with a lean creative team, the project needed to balance institutional credibility with clarity, emotion and cultural relevance.
The idea
How do you communicate advanced AI innovation without losing the human spirit at the heart of the Olympic movement?
The creative response was to anchor the entire narrative in a simple but powerful idea:
“Human Heartbeats”
Rather than leading with technology, we structured the experience and broadcast around future athletes, using storytelling to show how AI could support, enhance and enable human potential.
Each major theme within the IOC’s AI Agenda was introduced through short, emotionally driven narrative moments, creating a rhythm that connected innovation back to the Olympic philosophy of sport in service of humanity.
The experience
The launch combined a live VIP event with a fully produced broadcast, designed to reach both the global press in the room and audiences watching remotely.
At the Velodrome, a sustainably built, AI-inspired stage environment provided the setting for contributions from IOC President Thomas Bach, technology leaders and Olympic athletes. The design language balanced technical precision with a sense of warmth and accessibility, avoiding the coldness often associated with AI-led narratives.
The broadcast was structured as a multi-camera studio production, ensuring that the storytelling translated seamlessly to screen, not just to the live audience. The “Human Heartbeats” concept became the backbone of the programme, shaping how each chapter unfolded and how the audience moved through the content.
The result was an experience that felt coherent across both physical and digital formats, with equal attention given to atmosphere in the room and clarity on screen.
My role
As Creative Director, my role extended beyond visual direction into creative strategy and narrative development.
Working from the IOC’s white paper, I helped interpret and structure the core messaging into a broadcast-ready format, shaping the overarching storytelling approach and introducing the “Human Heartbeats” concept as a way to humanise the content.
This included:
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developing the narrative framework for the live broadcast
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structuring the programme into clear thematic chapters
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guiding the translation of complex ideas into accessible, emotionally engaging stories
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contributing to early-stage 3D concept development and overall creative direction
A key part of the role was ensuring that the work remained grounded in the Olympic ethos, keeping the focus on people, potential and purpose rather than allowing the technology to dominate the narrative.
Outcome
The launch successfully positioned the IOC’s AI Agenda as both forward-looking and human-centred, giving global media a clear and compelling narrative to carry forward.
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Delivered at speed with a lean team and high level of complexity
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Broadcast globally with a clear, structured storytelling framework
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Strong client response, with feedback noting it was the most effectively expressed version of their brand to date
More broadly, the project demonstrated how complex institutional messaging can be translated into a live and broadcast experience that feels both intelligent and emotionally resonant.