AI with a Heartbeat: Why the Future of Creativity is still Human-Led.

With AI dominating headlines and brands scrambling to create long-term value, creativity isn’t just about speed of reaction or novelty. It’s also about meaningful, human-centered innovation that can change how people experience the world. That’s exactly what Catapult set out to prove with Guinness FanFair – a pioneering initiative that combined emerging technology, real empathy, and powerful storytelling to change the way underrepresented fans experience live sport.

Technology isn’t just evolving – it’s outpacing us. AI, spatial computing, assistive tech… the creative toolkit is expanding faster than most of us can make sense of it. With that comes a growing unease: a fear that the human element is being lost. Is creativity being flattened into optimization? Are insights being homogenized into algorithmic patter? We’re at a crossroads. One path chases speed, scale, and automation. The other insists on consideration, empathy, and meaning. But what if the real future lies in the tension and intersection of the two?

That’s where Catapult plays

As a global experience agency, we aim to make brands human, to create new ways for brands to connect in culture, in communities, and in person. We believe true creative firepower comes from connecting deep emotional insight with innovation. FanFair – a proactive campaign we developed for Guinness in collaboration with assistive tech start-up Field of Vision – was built on exactly that intersection.

Our strategy team uncovered a powerful tension in the world of fandom: for visually impaired fans, ‘watching’ live sport can often be an exercise in exclusion. What does it mean to ‘watch the game’ when you can’t see it? When your match-day ritual can’t rely on sight, what are you left with? While sport is one of the most powerful collective human experiences, it’s not always an equal one. For visually impaired fans, the live experience is often disjointed. And in a stadium environment, exclusion can be amplified.

Ireland boasts one of the most passionate rugby fan bases in the world. However, research showed that less than 0.1% of the 52,000 matchday attendees at the Aviva Stadium self-identified as visually impaired (VI). We wanted to understand why, so we undertook a six-month consultation with VI fans, data from the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) and the VI representative body Voice of Vision Impairment.

Many of those we talked to described the burden of relying on companions, the frustration of the time-lag of radio commentary, and their worry that their very presence at the stadium would be questioned by other fans. Despite being passionate rugby supporters, they were culturally and experientially excluded from match-day rituals. So we set about changing that.

As title sponsor of both the Men’s and Women’s Six Nations Championships, Guinness has experienced a shift in its role in rugby – from celebration to transformation. Their ‘Never Settle’ initiative aims to make rugby accessible for everyone, both on the pitch and in the stands. And a cultural institution in Ireland, Guinness has both a platform and a responsibility to drive real change.

Where insight meets innovation

Collaborating with Field Of Vision’s accessibility engineers, haptics experts, and product designers to bring this initiative to life, we worked alongside visually impaired fans to develop a unique haptic language that translates real-time rugby data into intuitive tactile feedback.

Using a mix of AI-assisted pitch tracking and trained human observers, the handheld device transforms the game, converting live rugby action into instant tactile feedback, allowing visually impaired fans to feel every tackle, try, and kick instantly. It allows them to know precisely where play is happening on the pitch – no delay, no interpretation, no compromise. For the first time, with this technology, they could cheer in perfect sync with the rest of the stadium. They belonged.

Catapult led the trial, rollout, and capture – from product development and user testing to event execution and content creation through to match-day experiences.

The initiative was launched at one of rugby’s biggest stages: Ireland v England in the Guinness Six Nations 2025 Championship at the Aviva Stadium. One fan called it: “the first time I’ve ever truly felt at the game.” The impact was captured through one rugby super fan, Martin Gordon, who documented the journey in a short film that became the emotional centerpiece of the campaign.

Where data becomes the emotional lifeline

This was more than assistive technology. It was a reinvention of what real-time data could mean. Traditionally used for dashboards or content targeting, data here became an emotional lifeline, turning delayed observation into sensory participation. This is the handheld device, not as a second-screen distraction, but as a tool for deeper inclusion and participation.

The pilot scale was intentionally focused, but the aim was always to prove impact, not just volume. But that proof led to a commitment from Guinness and the IRFU to scale the initiative in 2026. This isn’t a one-off activation – it’s a sustainable shift in the culture of sport, championed by a brand with the platform and conviction to lead.

FanFair is more than a campaign. It’s a creative intervention – designed, led, and delivered by Catapult to show what’s possible when deep human insight meets pioneering technology and a client who lives their brand purpose. As AI continues to transform our industry, FanFair stands as proof that technology alone isn’t enough. It’s the intentions behind the tech – rooted in empathy, experience, and imagination – that will shape the future of fan experience.

Bren Byrne, Creative Strategist