In this episode of Canadians Create, we head into one of Canada’s most competitive and heavily regulated categories: sports betting. Host Qasim Virjee sits down with Krystal Mullen, Chief Creative Officer, and Andre Louie, Chief Strategy Officer at John Street, to unpack how their team helped Sports Interaction, Canada’s longest-running sportsbook, stand out in a market suddenly flooded with more than 80 competitors.
The story starts with an RFP and a high-stakes pitch – literally. Crystal and Andre describe walking into the client’s boardroom only to have a fire alarm test interrupt their presentation. Rather than evacuate, the clients insisted they keep going, listening to 25 minutes of creative ideas over a blaring siren. That moment of shared focus set the tone for a deep, trusting partnership.
From there, John Street reframed the brief. Instead of shouting features in all-caps like many sportsbooks, they built an emotional, fan-first brand platform: “Every game is your game.” The idea recognizes that bettors don’t just follow one team; they follow storylines, data and moments across every sport.
We see how that platform flexes across hockey, soccer and tennis – from an NHL partnership that challenges blind team loyalty, to a global football fan betting on leagues he’s never visited, to a tennis spot that dramatizes the “game within the game” through data-driven insight.
Crystal and Andre also dive into the realities of working in a regulated space: no celebrity athletes, strict league rules, and the need to differentiate without shouting. They show how constraints actually sharpened the creative, and how full-funnel storytelling – including “small” assets like banners – can still reflect fandom and personality.
Finally, they discuss results, market impact and why this platform is designed to live for years, not months, as they explore new sports, women’s leagues and deeply Canadian fandoms.
