From “Starter Packs” to Nostalgia Cards
AI’s impact is clearest in the kinds of posts that stop fans mid-scroll. Remember the “starter pack” meme format? Olympique Lyon took that idea and used it to showcase their players in a way that felt fun and relatable, earning one of their best-performing posts of the year.
Other teams have leaned into nostalgia. With a few prompts, editors are creating collectible-style graphics like, traditional sports cards, tarot cards, Pokémon cards, and more, that bring a retro twist to modern athletes. One example highlighted track and field star Anna Hall in a card format that sparked both recognition and a sense of throwback fun.
Visual Effects That Pop
It’s not just static graphics. Effects-driven posts are climbing feeds everywhere, powered by AI’s ability to generate visuals that look fresh and unexpected.
World Athletics, for example, used an animated AI effect that helped one of their posts rank in the global top 100 on Instagram. Wimbledon got experimental too, releasing an AI-generated look at what tennis stars Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner might look like decades into the future — playful way to celebrate their rivalry and careers.
And then there’s the pure fun side: a kangaroo cheering for a handball team, created with the AI tool Viggle. It’s random, weird, and exactly the kind of thing fans can’t resist sharing.
Videos That Keep Fans Playing Along
Short-form video remains king, and AI tools are giving editors more creative ways to make fans part of the story.
Paris Saint-Germain tapped into this with a looping clip that challenged fans to screenshot a player at the perfect moment. It became a mini-game on Instagram, and fans responded by replaying, commenting, and sharing their attempts.
Runway, another AI tool, powers one of the year’s most interactive trends: “shadow reveal” videos. Fans are shown the silhouette of an athlete and challenged to guess their identity before the reveal. It’s simple, but the suspense hooks people in and sparks conversation in the comments.
Idea – Prompt – Tool
One key takeaway from the webinar is that editors don’t need to overcomplicate things. The workflow is simple:
- Start with an idea (What’s the story? Who’s the athlete?)
- Write a clear prompt (Give context, be specific, show examples)
- Pick the right tool (ChatGPT for prompts, Runway for video, Canva for graphics, etc.)
That three-step model is what makes AI accessible: you don’t need to be a designer or developer to bring a concept to life. Just keep in mind that AI should amplify creativity, not replace it. If content starts to feel generic, repetitive, or soulless, it’s a sign you're overusing it.
That human touch, like overall strategy, emotion, and storytelling still has to take the lead. And that's something that can only be done by you.
