MICHAEL’S MAKE OFF
Michaels had a real community of makers but no proof it took crafting as seriously as they did. So we built a YouTube competition series where celebrities crafted against a host, badly, and let the audience decide who won.
Celebrities with glue guns, competing for the Maker’s Cup.
THE CHALLENGE:
Makers and DIY people are one of the most genuinely connected communities in retail, and Michaels was already their store. What the brand didn't have was cultural permission, proof that crafting belonged in the same conversation as entertainment rather than being the punchline in it.
WHERE I CAME IN:
Made the work nobody asked for. There was no brief. My remit at UEG was to generate work by unifying departments that didn't naturally talk to each other, so I created the concept and sold it through with our branded content team. Cast celebrities as amateurs. The Make Off was a YouTube competition series hosted by Busy Philipps, with a different celebrity each episode competing against her for the Maker's Cup. Snoop Dogg opened the series making holiday ornaments, which set the tone for everything after. Wiz Khalifa, Neil Patrick Harris, Wanda Sykes, John Stamos, Rob Gronkowski, and the Bella Twins followed. Tied it to the register. Challenges were built around retail seasons, so the content calendar and the store calendar moved together. Ran it as an ongoing production. Holding an episodic schedule with a rotating celebrity roster meant coordinating UEG's creative and influencer marketing teams, directors, scriptwriters, and Honor Society Films as our production partner. Michaels renewed it seasonally.
ROLE
Executive Creative Director,
Original Concept, Design & Creative Oversight
CLIENT: Michaels
AGENCY: United Entertainment Group
IMPACT
Webby Award nomination
500M+ views across the series
Extended People Magazine coverage, led by the Snoop Dogg holiday episode
Renewed as ongoing seasonal programming
Supported Michaels' broader MAKER Nation initiative
