michael ciani
My approach? It’s all about turning emotion into action.
With over a decade of creative experience on brands like Rogers, MolsonCoors, Kia, Bombardier, Nike, Hershey’s, and many more, I’ve helped shape voices, build campaigns, and craft work that connects.
I believe the best ideas are based on simple, human insights. I know that funny makes friends, that truth begets trust, and that being relatable resonates. If that resonates with you, we should talk.
Hey, I'm Mike.
I’ve spent the past 12+ years writing and leading creative for brands big and small. From candy and cars to banks and boots I’ve touched almost every ad vertical and creative output you can imagine. Along the way, I’ve learned that great writing is more than words — it’s about clarity, voice, and the aptitude to understand what makes people act.
I’m a freelance Associate Creative Director and Copywriter who’s also open to full-time roles. I have experience writing everything from TV, radio, and OOH to social, digital, and beyond. I also offer advanced AI prompting skills and expert level strategy.
I’ve worked on some incredible teams at agencies like: Anomaly, Publicis, Innocean, King Ursa, and more. Most recently I led a small but mighty social and digital team at Oliver Canada for MolsonCoors. Each stop has taught me how to balance craft and strategy; I’d love to deliver that balance to you and your clients.
Outside the brief, you’ll find me playing guitar, singing for a band, reading, or perfecting a pizza sauce.
If you’re looking for someone who can bring voice, clarity, and creativity to your brand — let’s talk.
The Work
Old Style Pilsner - Hot Bunny Summer
The story: Old Style Pilsner has a fervent following in Western Canada, but the East remained largely untapped. Knowing the brand’s popularity amongst people from 19-25 and their propensity for partying, we delivered a big idea that put the Old Style Pilsner mascot in front of them in a way that really resonated: on Tinder.
Echoing the social popularity of “Hot Girl Summer” we created “Hot Bunny Summer.” A contest which kept people on the lookout for the Pil Bunny on Tinder. When someone noticed him they’d swipe right and send their best pick-up line. The folks with the best pickup lines were invited to a bar takeover in Toronto where they could interact with fellow fans and meet Pil in person.
Coors Light - The Master of Chill
Coors Light was not an official sponsor of the Masters, but wanted to be a part of the conversation during the tournament. How? We took the idea of the iconic Green Jacket traditionally awarded to the winner of the Masters and created our own, more Chill version. The “Blue Jacket” was introduced and awarded to “The Master of Chill” as nominated by friends in the comment section of a social post. The winner loved it so much he wore it to his wedding, and Coors Light broke through the noise of the weekend with something unique, insightful, and newsworthy.
Coors Light - Chill Choice Regionalized OOH
Coors Light launched their new tagline “The Chill Choice” and wanted to remind people in Canada of just that during the summer. The lines needed to be regionalized and specific to what Canadians were doing and experiencing across the country.
Budweiser - The Sedins
An emotional piece I’ll be eternally proud of.
The Sedin twins weren’t just a vital part of the Vancouver Canucks franchise, they were a vital part of the city itself. To celebrate their retirement and the retirement of their numbers I wrote a script for Budweiser that brought the emotion of lifting their banners to the rafters to the entire city. Every place that was positively impacted by the twins raised banners of their own (provided by Bud) to commend and thank them.
Kia - Seltos
To support the launch of the Seltos in Canada we were tasked with targeting a young professional buyer who wanted something that was at home in the city but had the ability to chase adventure. We created a story that spoke to this target directly; an accessible, surprising adventure that echoed all of the offerings and conveniences the Seltos offers.
Arizona Hard Iced Tea - Back to the 90s
How do you ride the 90s nostalgia wave while catering to two distinct target groups? You open up the conversation and keep things funny. To pump-up a weekend of sampling in Toronto’s Union Station we enlisted the help of comedy influencer Marc-Anthony Sinagoga and created a “street interview” style series where we asked people to tell us what they’d like to see come back from the 90s aside from Arizona Hard of course.
Rogers - Roam Like Home
Vacationing without data can be incredibly trying. These spots showed people how Rogers’ Roam Like Home service solves those travel woes in funny, and incredibly relatable ways.
Rogers - Back to School Event
When it comes to “Back to School” season, parents can be a little oblivious to what their children really want. To highlight this we created spots that highlight the uncomfortable and awkward little moments where parents have a high likelihood of making the wrong decision. We resolved that discomfort by offering a better decision: taking them to Rogers for the newest device to start the school year.
Nike - AirMax Day in Toronto
Nike created the “Department of Unimaginable” to launch the AirMax 720 across the globe. We were tasked to create a totally unique iteration of the “Department” for Toronto. We knew that Nike fans and Hypebeasts alike were inquisitive and ready to dig into the details when it came to AirMax Day, so we created a series of social posts that dropped subtle hints and clues to the location and date of the big drop positioning the “Department of Unimaginable” as a sort of spy network with scientific information they wanted to keep a secret. Only real fans would be able to decipher our hidden messages, and they did. The 720 drop in Toronto sold out in 20 minutes.
Sher-Wood - Rekker M90 Launch
Sher-Wood wanted to launch their new state-of-the-art Rekker M90 composite stick that highlighted its speed and precision. Their target was young hockey players across the country, and what do young hockey players love? Hockey stats and video games. We combined them both into a POV style collection of spots that made them feel like a Rekker M90 wielding superstar. The sticks rose to fame in Rekker time.
Can-Am - Spyder X Road Warriors
The Road Warrior Foundation helps veterans heal through adventure and camaraderie and Can-Am is a major partner in delivering these types of experiences. This long-form piece follows a ride and focuses on telling the story of “adventure therapy” through the eyes of actual participants. The idea here was to position the Spyder as an accessible way to experience the open road no matter your walk of life.