Background & Context:
Russia’s unjust invasion of Ukraine has taken countless lives, including athletes who had devoted their lives to sports but never had the chance to fulfill their dreams of competing at the Olympics. Our mission was to ensure that these athletes' stories would not be silenced by their untimely deaths. Using AI, we aimed to give these fallen athletes a voice and a platform to complete the journeys they had started.

Creative Idea:
Using generative AI, we digitally "revived" Ukrainian athletes who lost their lives in the war, allowing them to symbolically compete in the Olympic events they were preparing for. This campaign wasn’t just about technology—it was about giving these athletes the chance to finish what they had started, while drawing attention to the devastating impact of war. More importantly, the campaign was tied to a fundraising initiative aimed at supporting de-mining efforts in Ukraine, contributing to the country’s recovery and saving lives.

Execution:
Through advanced AI, we trained our own AI model and recreated the athletes’ physical appearances and voice, enabling them to show up and raise their voice during the Olympic Games. Their message was amplified and shared across social media and on a dedicated microsite that also featured their personal stories and the details of the fundraising initiative. Viewers could donate directly to de-mining operations in Ukraine, ensuring the campaign had a tangible and direct impact.

Impact:
The campaign sparked widespread engagement and discussion. Even during a time of saturated sport coverage, the campaign’s innovative use of AI and the main character’s heartbreaking story were widely covered in the media from notable outlets such as the Washington Post, Forbes, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, WDR, Welt, Das Erste, etc. Social media users shared the revived athletes' stories, creating a groundswell of emotional and financial support for de-mining efforts.