The solution: Intelligence Unbound – a global platform co-created by TED and PwC to bring clarity, leadership, and a human voice to the AI conversation. Designed to move across the funnel, it connects storytelling, thought leadership, and real-world engagement shifting PwC from advisor to visionary responder in the AI era.

TED is not just a media partner – it is the foundation of the Intelligence Unbound platform. TED provides the space where future-facing questions are seeded, and PwC becomes the answer. The platform’s first major release was at TED Vancouver, where PwC launched the PwC Hideaway, a curated space where CEOs, creatives, technologists, and attendees engaged directly with PwC’s subject matter experts. It was a strategic listening post and a real-time window into the cultural conversation around AI, ethics, and trust.

Building on TED as the launchpad, Intelligence Unbound took the conversation global, activating in key markets. At TEDAI Vienna, PwC brought together the next generation of tech innovators for a hackathon focused on solving today’s most pressing AI challenges. In Kuala Lumpur, the platform evolved into an AI leadership conference tailored specifically to the Southeast Asian business landscape, fostering local dialogue on trust and complexity in AI. Each event extended the foundational ideas first seeded at TED, translating visionary thought leadership into relevant, market-specific engagement. This intentional approach to listening, localising, and leading ensured PwC remained front and centre in the evolving global AI conversation.

Alongside live activations, the platform’s impact was amplified through compelling video storytelling bringing AI’s human stories to life. It launched with Balancing Act, a short film profiling Kilimo, an AI-powered irrigation company in Argentina tackling the water crisis. The story followed founder Jairo Trad as he scaled the solution and built strategic alliances, with insight from PwC experts grounding the narrative in real-world application.

Next, PwC and TED introduced The Great Upskilling; a global video series structured around three urgent questions:

Education: How can AI accelerate human potential?
Creativity: How can AI amplify creativity?
Health (in production): How is AI improving healthcare access?

Each episode features global innovators partnered with PwC SMEs, creating a dual-lens approach that connects personal experience to strategic foresight.

Across content and activations, the pattern is clear with questions being asked and TED/PwC answering them. Intelligence Unbound will continue to respond to AI’s biggest challenges through strategic storytelling, live events, and market-specific engagement – building trust, shifting perceptions, and shaping the future.

The campaign’s success relied not just on the quality of the story, but on the depth of its distribution. By combining TED’s global media reach with PwC’s targeted channels, the partnership achieved rare synergy: scale with precision, and impact with credibility.

Cross-Platform Reach
TED’s global ecosystem from TED.com and YouTube to podcasts and newsletters ensured high visibility. With a monthly audience of over 141 million across 248 countries, the campaign was instantly global. Key video assets were distributed through TED’s owned channels, reaching a diverse, engaged, and values-aligned audience. Leveraging TED’s trusted ecosystem of thought leaders and a deeply engaged community enabled amplification that felt authentic and authoritative, connecting PwC’s expertise with audiences predisposed to thoughtful inquiry.

To build further surround sound around the brand, we also leveraged the TED Talks podcast — one of the most downloaded in the world — with host-read audio segments promoting the wider Intelligence Unbound platform.

Tailored Content Formats
We moved beyond the TED Talk format, launching a short-form docu-series that spotlighted real people using AI to solve real challenges. The storytelling approach was immersive, emotionally resonant, and highly shareable — built for a social-first world but grounded in journalistic credibility. Audience insights from both partners guided a tailored approach across platforms, ensuring content met users where they were, in formats ranging from social-native short films to in-depth podcasts and live conversations.

Targeted Engagement
PwC amplified the campaign through owned LinkedIn channels, newsletters, and direct engagement with clients and policymakers. Short clips, data-led insights, and co-branded visuals encouraged interaction and discussion. Importantly, these assets were tailored to reach senior decision-makers — those shaping corporate strategy and public policy.

Full brand study results will be available in approximately two months. We anticipate this campaign will drive brand lift in the market.

Strategic Visibility
The announcement of PwC’s strategic AI partnership with TED became the most-viewed and engaged social post on PwC LinkedIn globally in 2024. TED audiences responded with similar enthusiasm, driving thousands of organic shares/ comments. LinkedIn Amplify content for both Intelligence Unbound/Balancing Act performed 26–34% above benchmark, reinforcing how strongly the message resonated with the professional community.

Business Impact
The long-term value is already emerging with PwC now positioned not just as a provider of AI strategy, but as a trusted, human-led guide through complexity. Embedding within TED’s ecosystem amplified PwC’s reach into forward-thinking networks, accelerating trust-building and catalyzing high-value client conversations. Conversations sparked at TED events have already led to new client engagements and extended dialogues across sectors. Our accounts are actively reaching out to partners to find out more, a strong signal of commercial momentum and interest even without pipeline data at this stage.

Audience Resonance
Centering real people using AI for good rather than tech giants speculating about the future created a powerful emotional connection. Viewers saw themselves in the story. They recognised questions they were grappling with and found a trusted partner to explore answers. Early qualitative feedback underscores a shift in perception: PwC is seen not only as a technical advisor, but as a visionary partner grounded in human values. CTRs reinforce this—Intelligence Unbound Pre-Roll on TED.com delivered 11% above benchmark, and Balancing Act Pre-Roll on YouTube exceeded benchmarks by 5%.

Global Reach, Local Relevance
With 78% of deliverables met as of 5/20/25 and on track to overdeliver, the Intelligence Unbound platform is evolving into a living, global portfolio—adaptable, inclusive, and grounded in the real world.

PWC & Ted