Is generative AI the “great equalizer” for non-profits in the creation of A-game campaign work? 

Code and Theory argues that it is and points to a new pro-bono campaign it just completed for the Scores Network, a non-profit that provides after-school programs for underserved youth. 

Built entirely with generative AI tools, Code and Theory developed the core film in the campaign in just four weeks "without sacrificing storytelling or heart,” according to the agency. Nearly 2,000 frames were created, alongside an original poem, character studies and a custom font. 

The agency said that without the AI tools the effort would have required a six-figure budget and months of production work. “This campaign proves that mission-driven organizations can now compete with major brands on storytelling quality and visual impact,” the agency stated. And at a “fraction of the cost.” 

The campaign is called “Find Your Feet,” and it puts youth voices front and center in an animated film showing how teamwork, creativity and community help young people build lasting confidence. 

Told through the eyes of Marcus, a fictional poet-athlete, the film follows a lonely inner-city boy who discovers his voice through poetry, finds belonging on the soccer field and eventually becomes a mentor for kids like him. According to the agency, the film is rooted real experiences of Scores youth.  

Alongside the main film, Code and Theory delivered a suite of assets for social, out-of-home, print and broadcast. It also delivered a refreshed visual identity, reusable storytelling materials and other assets.  

Founded in Washington, D.C., by a public-school teacher 31 years ago, the Scores Network expanded to additional cities with a grant from the 1994 World Cup. The organization now operates in 13 cities across the U.S. and Canada and reaches over 25,000 young people annually. 

John Riordan, Executive Director at New York Scores said the campaign “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’s Chief Creative Officer Craig Elimeliah added, “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.”