Code and Theory and the SCORES Network have partnered to launch an advertising campaign built entirely with generative AI tools to illustrate the impact of sport and poetry on the lives of young people.
The campaign, titled "Find Your Feet," centres on the voices of youth participants, presenting a cinematic animated film that follows the journey of Marcus, a fictional Poet-Athlete. Marcus is depicted as a lonely boy in an inner-city environment who discovers his voice through poetry, finds belonging on the soccer field, and ultimately becomes a mentor to peers with similar experiences.
The story draws inspiration from real SCORES Network youth and highlights the influence of creative expression and community on personal growth. According to the organisations, the film is intended to reflect the transformative power that the SCORES Network's after-school programmes aim to provide for underserved youth.
All production aspects of the film, including nearly 2,000 animation frames, an original poem, character studies, and a custom font, were carried out using generative AI platforms in a four-week timeline. Previously, this scale of production would have required a substantially larger budget and months of development. The campaign also includes a set of assets for social media, out-of-home, print, and broadcast, as well as a refreshed visual identity and several mini-campaigns expanding on the organisation's core themes.
Resource allocation
Representatives from both the SCORES Network and Code and Theory have emphasised the significance that AI played in the campaign's development, describing it as a means to level the playing field for non-profits undertaking high-quality storytelling projects.
John Riordan, Executive Director at New York SCORES, commented on the campaign's reach:
SCORES helps kids step into confidence, find their voice and transform their communities. This campaign captures that spirit and shows the world what we see every day. Find Your Feet is stepping onto a larger stage, showing how sport and poetry continue to empower the next generation.
Code and Theory has a background in technology-driven creative work. Chief Creative Officer Craig Elimeliah highlighted the partnership between technology and creativity in the project, stating:
AI made the process faster, but the heart of this work remained entirely human. The story, the craft, the care - that's what makes Find Your Feet powerful. It's a proof point of what happens when technology and human creativity come together for good.
Programme background
The SCORES Network was founded in Washington, D.C., by a public school teacher and initially used a grant from the 1994 World Cup to expand its reach. Today, the network operates in 13 cities across the United States and Canada and reaches over 25,000 young people annually through programmes that blend soccer, poetry and community service.
The new AI-generated campaign materials are designed to be reusable and provide a foundation for future initiatives, including potential projects related to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Code and Theory delivered assets including two mini-campaigns, Field Notes and Keeping Score, alongside a library of templatized poetry content for ongoing engagement.
Organisation leaders say the approach has allowed the SCORES Network to showcase the experiences and stories of its youth participants more widely while conserving resources traditionally dedicated to production costs.
The collaborative effort is intended not only to promote the SCORES Network's programming but also to demonstrate the potential applications of generative AI in enabling smaller organisations to access production value typically reserved for larger brands.
