alotté
by Martin Potter, Creative Director & Brand Experience Leader in Basel, Switzerland.
[ah-lot-ay] noun, sometimes verb. origin.
A collection of ideas, stories and creative work — part journal, selected work, part experiment. Shaped by music, design, travel and a curiosity for how ideas take shape.
The journal
Exploring storytelling, design and GenAI through essays, illustration and the occasional tangent — from fleeting thoughts to deeper dives into the shifting shape of modern creative work. Start here for a curated mix. Most imagery on alotté is created using GenAI as part of that exploration.
Categories: Communications GenAI Music Stories Switzerland Work
GenAI will shift in-house comms & creative to a creative communications studio built around judgement and coherence.
Read MoreA moment at the piano sparked the line that would become central to a Eurovision sponsorship.
Read MoreGenAI is changing how much one person can do at work, here is my proof.
Read MoreGreat communication isn’t about adding more. It’s about clarity, focus and distilling ideas to what truly matters.
Read MoreAn essay On Running through ten marathons, from my first in New York to an accidental Boston qualification.
Read MoreHow GenAI can shape and speed up creative work without losing your voice.
Read MoreRed dungarees, French fries, the Mr Wimpy costume and the early lessons in graft and resilience.
Read MoreThe first major crossroads of my career, choosing between a job in the UK or a new life in Paris.
Read MoreMoving to Basel with a young family in 2019 and finding belonging, balance and community in Switzerland.
Read MoreGenAI is reshaping creative work, but true creativity still relies on human taste, judgement and instinct.
Read MoreFrom Loopy to The Logical Song, this is what it looks like when music becomes part of family life.
Read MoreMost people still treat AI as a prompt machine instead of a studio assistant.
Read MoreA look back at my Wellington School years and the lessons that shaped me long before I understood them.
Read MoreA Jack Morton leader once told me it’s up to each of us to manage our own careers and stay open to new opportunities.
Read MoreSelected work
My career has taken me from creative studios in the UK to large-scale brand and experiential work in the US, and into corporate communications leadership in Basel — shaping campaigns, experiences and creative work along the way.
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Novartis – Eurovision 2025 Sponsorship
Helped initiate and led the Corporate Affairs workstream for the Eurovision 2025 sponsorship, shaping strategy, messaging and stakeholder engagement across multiple countries. Developed internal communications, brand experience direction and creative assets for a global public audience. A rare chance to blend culture, science and brand storytelling at real scale.
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Bain & Company Careers Websites
Led the creative direction and content development for relaunching three generations of Bain’s global careers site, giving the firm a more modern and human digital presence. Developed structure, tone and visual identity for all candidate touchpoints. Helped shift employer brand storytelling toward real voices and lived experience.
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New Balance – RTB Marketing
Served as part-time Marketing Director for this prestigious race series, overseeing social media, creative direction and the production of a “Road to Boston” videoblog series. Blended documentary-style storytelling with live-event coverage to celebrate runners’ journeys. The work helped New Balance deepen its long-form storytelling around running culture and community.
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Novartis – Code of Ethics
As a Communications Business Partner for the Ethics, Risk and Compliance function, I helped bring the second edition of the Novartis Code of Ethics to life through clear, practical communications that helped people understand how to apply ethical principles in everyday decisions. Designed a unified visual and narrative system for global rollout, making the content feel modern, accessible and behaviour-led.
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Novartis – Global Storytelling & Culture Films
Led creative direction for a team that produced global storytelling across science, culture and patient impact, developing both 2D animations and filmed narratives that brought the organisation’s work to life. Partnered closely with scientific and business teams to translate complex ideas into clear, human stories for global audiences. I also narrated one myself.
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Bain & Company Career Videos
Conceptualised, wrote and directed a global library of recruiting films featuring Bain people across major US and European offices. Produced multi-camera stories that captured the reality of consulting, blending cinematic production with a candid, editorial tone. As director and on-camera interviewer, I led conversations with senior partners and leaders across the firm. Many of the films remain part of Bain’s YouTube presence today, still representing the employer brand. -
Tradeshow Strategy & Production
Led tradeshow strategy, design and production across multiple industries, delivering large-scale experiences for entertainment, technology and global healthcare clients. Created everything from character-driven environments and interactive moments to high-spec scientific congress booths, working across major events worldwide. The work combined creative direction, client leadership and hands-on production across a wide range of formats and audiences. Clients included Nickelodeon, Texas Instruments, GSK, BMS and Merck.
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Experiential Mobile Tours
Directed and produced large-scale mobile experiences ranging from NFL fan zones to NASCAR healthcare screening tours and live broadcast studios. For various clients, including Sprint, GSK, ESPN, PUMA, these units travelled coast to coast across the US, enabling brands to engage directly with audiences in high-energy environments. The work combined client leadership, production oversight and hands-on creative direction.
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Get in touch
If anything here resonates, I’m easy to reach.
