“Paint The Town Red”

MLSE Strategic Partnership Campaign Proposal: Michael’s x Toronto Raptors

The Case Challenge

As part of MLSE’s 2025 Global Partnerships Case Competition, we were challenged to create an integrated, multi-touchpoint partnership proposal for a brand within an assigned category (i.e., Baby Care, Paint, Headphones, Logistics), bringing the collaboration to life across social, in-arena, out-of-home, and broadcast environments.

Our team selected Michael’s, North America’s largest arts and crafts retailer, and the Toronto Raptors, a culturally expressive franchise with a strong youth and family fanbase. The mandate was to design a partnership that could:

Revitalize youth arts education in Canada
Strengthen community connection
Increase brand affinity among millennial and Gen Z parents
Use creativity as the bridge between Michaels, Raptors culture, and Canadian youth

This became the foundation of “Paint The Town Red.”

We chose Michael’s because it sits at the intersection of creativity and community which are two values deeply rooted in Raptors culture. It gave us the chance to build a partnership that was not just commercial, but genuinely meaningful for fans and young families.
Our research focused on three areas:
- "81% of families in the GTA support art education but 75% of Canadian kids have ZERO access to arts education.”
- Brand behavior: Michaels is shifting from “arts & crafts” to creative wellness, family bonding, and youth empowerment.
- Fan culture: Raptors fans express identity through street art, murals, customization, and DIY visual culture, making creativity a natural brand fit.
These insights revealed a major white space: no retailer currently champions youth creativity in Canadian sports culture.
A national creativity movement that revitalizes youth arts access and elevates the voices of young creators through Raptors culture. The campaign gives kids the tools to create, the platforms to be seen, and the confidence to imagine themselves as future champions.
- Brand Alignment: Matches Michaels’ focus on creative wellness and family engagement.
- Values & Behaviour Alignment: Raptors culture already revolves around visual expression, making it authentic.
- Community Impact: Supplies donated to 100+ underserved schools, 50,000+ youth supported.
- Our Execution: Social series, in-arena art wall, Dream Kits, youth contests, and court revitalizations.
  The Long-Term Impact: Builds emotional connection with the next generation of Raptors fans and creators.
- Led research synthesis across audience, cultural, and educational insights.
- Identified the core tension around shrinking arts education and positioned Michaels as the solution.
- Built the strategic narrative connecting access → creativity → confidence → fans.
- Designed activation pillars ensuring every touchpoint served both brand and community goals.
- Developed the reasoning behind youth-forward assets (courts, kits, contests, spotlight nights).
- I designed a professional quality pitch deck to adhere to brand guidelines (Michael’s & Raptors).