Aiko
Stonewall · Creative Concept · 2022
At a World Cup with no openly out male players, we created one.
Aiko is an AI footballer created to give LGBTQ+ community visibility on football’s biggest stage without asking a real player to put themselves at risk.
We gave him a face, a story and a voice then sent him to Qatar.
Follow @the.real.aiko
My role Creative
Across Original concept · Character & naming · Storytelling
With Michael Venner, Creative · Iris Worldwide
Conceived and developed with Michael Venner under the creative direction of Ross Taylor.
After we moved agencies, Ross continued the project and brought AIKO into production.
Through his own social presence, Aiko inserted himself into the conversations unfolding around the tournament.
