AbbottExperiential2021

Human-Powered Health takes the CES stage

Brand positioning, speech writing, experience design, microsite planning, and keynote copy for Abbott’s CES opening keynote.

KeynoteSpeech WritingExperience Design

Abbott Human-Powered Health planning page from Unique Michael portfolio

$13M+

Business helped secure

3 mos.

Planning window

Global

Keynote audience

The challenge

Abbott was selected to open CES during the pandemic and had only three months to prepare a global keynote experience. The work needed to win a competitive pitch, give Abbott an ownable platform, and translate complex health technology into a story people could feel.

The approach

01
Co-led the pitch by pairing marketing strategy with biomedical context from earlier healthcare study and physician shadowing.
02
Helped turn Abbott’s intersection of humanity and technology into the Human-Powered Health platform, then extended it into a manifesto, thematic chapters, and experience logic.
03
Led information architecture, site planning, copy, and creative guidance for the keynote microsite, digital ecosystem, and influencer storytelling.

Actual keynote

The public CES keynote brought the platform to life.

The portfolio slides show the strategy and buildout. The keynote video shows the scale of the finished experience: Abbott opening CES with a global story about technology that empowers people.

Watch on YouTube

Selected work

A full look at the Abbott Human-Powered Health work.

Abbott · Pitch context

Winning the right to shape a global CES keynote.

The project began as a high-stakes pitch for Abbott’s CES opening keynote. With only three months to plan, the work had to prove that GMR could handle brand positioning, copy, experience design, digital strategy, stakeholder needs, and the emotional weight of health innovation.

The pitch was won, and the work helped secure more than $13 million in business.

GMR x Abbott Consumer Electronic Show keynote title slide — Project opener: the Abbott CES keynote was treated as a full experiential and communications ecosystem, not a single speech.

Scope of work: brand positioning, copywriting, speech writing, microsite development, OOH, experience design, social listening, data analysis, and influencer marketing.

Abbott CES Luck without limits strategic focus slide — Pitch context: CES selected Abbott to open the conference during the pandemic, and the team had only three months to build a keynote experience.

Abbott · Human-Powered Health platform

How the team arrived at Human-Powered Health.

Human-Powered Health came from a strategic tension Abbott could credibly own: the future of health is not technology replacing people, but technology giving people more possibility, agency, and time. The phrase turned Abbott’s scientific credibility into a human promise, then gave the keynote a clear north star.

The idea connected the brand’s healthcare technology to a simple audience truth: innovation matters most when it helps people live fuller lives.

Abbott humanity and technology concept slide — Origin logic: Abbott sits at the intersection of humanity and technology, which became the strategic foundation for Human-Powered Health.

Abbott Together platform slide about a world where memories are born out of wellness, not illness — Early platform language: the story moved toward partnership, wellness, and the human outcomes technology can protect.

Abbott future of possibilities patient story slide — Human proof: patient stories kept the keynote grounded in lived experience, not abstract product innovation.

Abbott CES keynote like no other slide — Experience ambition: the platform needed to feel worthy of CES, where major brands introduce the future.

Abbott unforgettable experience elements slide — System thinking: the idea had to expand into brand moments, showcases, digital content, and audience engagement.

Abbott keynote three chapters slide — Narrative architecture: the keynote came to life in three chapters so the story could build with intention.

Abbott Attract Engage Inspire chapter slide — Chapter territories: Attract, Engage, and Inspire gave the experience a clear emotional progression.

Abbott What If ideation slide — Creative engine: “What if?” prompts helped translate health innovation into moments people could imagine.

Abbott What if we put ourselves in someone else’s shoes ideation slide — Empathy frame: this concept asked audiences to experience the world through someone else’s health reality.

Abbott immersive time machine concept slide — Immersive concepting: the team explored how CES could become a sensory journey through human health progress.

Abbott What if we cured doubt concept slide — Optimism frame: the creative explored how Abbott could make uncertainty feel smaller through useful technology.

Abbott business impact slide about winning the pitch and coining Human-Powered Health — Business impact: after the pitch win, the work aligned stakeholders around the Human-Powered Health campaign title.

Abbott brief-like object slide mapping audience, tension, and Human-Powered Health throughline — Strategic object: the platform was clarified into audience, tension, and throughline so teams could build from the same idea.

Abbott · Manifesto and experience planning

Turning the platform into a manifesto, chapters, and a show plan.

Once the platform was chosen, the work shifted from naming to orchestration. The team used the manifesto as a north star, then built programming, sketches, and speaker moments that could carry Abbott’s business goals and emotional story on a global stage.

The planning materials show how the idea moved from strategy into show flow, visual rhythm, patient stories, and keynote staging.

Abbott planning phase slide with manifesto and programming context — Planning phase: the keynote title became a manifesto, chapters, and programming that aligned with Abbott’s business and brand goals.

Abbott Human-Powered Health manifesto slide — Manifesto: the writing defined the emotional promise of Human-Powered Health and gave the team a guiding north star.

Abbott keynote stage sketch slide — Experience sketch: early staging mapped how screens, speakers, and human stories could work together in the room.

Abbott keynote stage sketch featuring Michael J. Fox foundation patient story — Story integration: patient and partner stories were planned as part of the keynote environment, not dropped in as side content.

Abbott keynote multi-screen stage sketch — Show development: the team explored how movement, scale, and multi-screen storytelling could keep the keynote dynamic.

Abbott keynote storyboard with highlighted speaker moments — Speaker choreography: the deck captured where presenters, content, and visual emphasis needed to line up.

Abbott · Live keynote ecosystem

Building a keynote, digital campaign, and OOH strategy in three months.

The keynote expanded into a broader campaign ecosystem. The work connected stage storytelling, out-of-home, digital assets, product demonstrations, and the live keynote experience so Human-Powered Health could travel beyond the event itself.

The public keynote video shows the finished experience, while the slides show how the system was planned, promoted, and staged.

Abbott Pushing boundaries slide about keynote digital marketing campaign and OOH strategy — Scale of effort: the team planned a keynote, digital campaign, and OOH strategy on a timeline that normally would have taken far longer.

Abbott digital and print campaign examples for Unlocking the Possibility of You — Campaign extensions: Human-Powered Health moved into launch visuals, event messaging, and promotional formats.

Abbott live keynote stage showing Unlocking the Possibility of You — Live keynote: the finished stage brought the “Unlocking the possibility of you” message into the room.

Abbott live CES keynote stage with audience and large screens — Room scale: the presentation system had to work for a live audience while still carrying the global broadcast story.

Abbott CES keynote product demonstration showing results ready in 15 minutes — Product storytelling: technology moments were framed around practical human benefit, not specifications alone.

Abbott CES keynote app and digital health demonstration — Digital health demo: the keynote showed how Abbott’s tools could make personal health information more immediate.

Abbott CES keynote stage slide about one in three people living with cardiovascular disease — Human stakes: data was used to make the health challenge visible and emotionally legible for a CES audience.

Abbott · Microsite and digital companion

Creating a digital home for the keynote before, during, and after CES.

Abbott’s digital team asked for a microsite that could support customers, partners, employees, and post-event audiences. The work included information architecture, site planning, and copy that turned the keynote into an accessible digital experience.

The microsite extended the keynote into chapters, video content, sign-up flows, and supporting health stories.

Abbott Tune in anywhere microsite planning slide — Digital brief: the microsite needed to help audiences discover, watch, and continue engaging with the keynote.

Abbott keynote digital environment and event screen slide — Connected experience: digital touchpoints and venue moments helped the keynote feel consistent across channels.

Abbott microsite architecture and component direction slide — Site architecture: the microsite was organized around keynote access, chapter content, and Abbott’s Human-Powered Health story.

Abbott microsite hero page for Unlocking the Possibility of You — Hero page: the copy invited visitors into the Human-Powered Health theme with a direct, audience-centered question.

Abbott microsite page with Human-Powered Health video stories — Story library: the site gave audiences multiple human stories and proof points beyond the live keynote.

Abbott · Influencer and voiceover storytelling

Guiding the Human-Powered Health voice beyond the stage.

The project also extended into influencer and voiceover storytelling. Beyond patient stories, the work included guiding copy development for actor Laurence Fishburne so the platform could carry a cinematic, human voice.

This final layer helped Human-Powered Health feel like a world, not just an event title.

Abbott Influencing health slide featuring Laurence Fishburne — Influencer storytelling: the team guided voiceover copy so Laurence Fishburne could bring Human-Powered Health to life.

Abbott keynote dark stage screen with Laurence Fishburne voiceover moment — Final expression: the voiceover layer helped the keynote close the distance between technology, story, and emotion.

Working note

On testimonials: This was agency work delivered through GMR Marketing. The framing here is mine.

We won the pitch. I helped secure over $13 million in business within my first month.

The outcome

The team won the pitch, secured more than $13 million of business, and built a keynote ecosystem that included a manifesto, chapters, microsite, digital campaign, OOH strategy, and celebrity voiceover copy.