The Skilled Trades College of Canada (STC) is launching a campaign with Toronto Raptors player Scottie Barnes.
The campaign targets students ages 16 to 35 and comprises 15- and 30-second spots featuring sports presenter Jack Armstong hosting a quiz show. Barnes appears as a contestant, and at the end of the commercial, he is the one who answers the most questions correctly. STC is launching the ads on CP24. The company’s in-house teams handle media buying, while NewPath Sports and Entertainment handles marketing (talent buying, coordination and brokering). Shadow Lion is in charge of creative and The Influence Agency handles social media.
STC president and founder Ralph Cerasuolo says the partnership with Barnes, as well as the ads centered on the game show, are an opportunity for STC to connect with young people and inform them about its programs, especially the three-month course that allows recent graduates to develop skills for work. “And CP24 is an ideal way to reach two vital audiences for the company: potential students and their parents, sharing the message that a 12-week course is an accessible and efficient way to enter the workforce.”
The ads with Barnes are a natural extension of STC’s ongoing collaboration with him, Cerasuolo says. The company first teamed up with the Toronto Raptors forward in 2022 to launch the Future Builders Scholarship, which gives Black and Indigenous students a chance to begin a career in the skilled trades. Last year, they partnered again to relaunch the scholarship.
According to Cerasuolo, STC is rolling out the campaign now to break down some of the stigma that surrounds trade professions. “It’s an essential job and one that is much-needed in Ontario,” he says, adding that the demand for trades continues to grow in Canada.
Last month, STC partnered with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to become its Canadian sponsor. As part of the deal, STC will place ads in the arena during UFC events and set-up in-venue booth activations. UFC will also launch STC-branded content across social media and a pre-roll video on YouTube.
