#WeSeeYou – Lily Parr: An interview 100 years in the making

#WeSeeYou: Lily Parr is a groundbreaking campaign by Three UK’s in-house agency Generation, using cutting-edge AI to bring back a legend football forgot. Launched on International Women’s Day 2025, it reunites 1920s trailblazer Lily Parr - who scored more goals than Ronaldo and drew crowds of 50,000 - with modern-day icon Karen Carney in a first-of-its-kind interview, one hundred years in the making.

Despite her historic achievements, Lily’s story was silenced by the FA’s 50-year ban on women’s football. With no video footage and only grainy photos, bringing her to life demanded innovation. Partnering with Territory Studio, the team built seven bespoke AI models from a single image to recreate Lily’s likeness, emotion, and voice. A custom GPT, trained with a football historian, scripted her words, while a method actress delivered her tone and presence with striking accuracy.

Set in a podcast-style studio, the interview bridges 100 years of football history - celebrating a forgotten hero while inspiring a new generation of girls, 66% of whom are more likely to play sport if they have a visible role model.

The film is part of the #WeSeeYou Network - Three’s long-running platform created in partnership with Chelsea FC Women to spotlight and support under-recognised women in football. With 433K views, 126M+ social reach and 820M PR impressions, the campaign became more than a film - it was a cultural moment. A powerful example of how emerging tech can help reclaim stories the world needs to see.