Can Canadian Hot Shop Courage Make It in New York?

Partner and ECD Mina Mikhael talks expansion and simplifying the creative process

“We opened Courage New York to give clients the creative they dream of, without the nightmare of traditional marketing processes,” agency partner and ECD Mina Mikhael tells Muse.

“We’ve set up in Chinatown with a simple goal: get to the next brief. If we do our jobs well, with care and kindness and craft, our hope is that clients feel there’s no one else they’d rather help on the next assignment.”

Mina leads the Canadian juggernaut’s first U.S. office—and third overall, following Toronto and Montreal—with co-ECD Steve Horn and managing director Pauline Tastenhoye.

The trio launched the outpost last week. Pauline had served at Tombras, while Mina and Steve held senior roles at Translation, working with the NBA, Meta, PlayStation and more.

Here, Mina chats about the U.S. expansion, his creative inspirations and recent work he’s admired.

Where did you grow up, where do you live now and how do the two compare?

Now Brooklyn-based, but L.A. origins. I’d be hard pressed to find a better place to raise my daughter. My wife and I love how New York allows us to be outside for every moment, meeting and experiencing characters, cultures and cuisines that makes life feel like an insane daily adventure for our kid. As creatives, we’re constantly humbled and inspired by our surroundings, getting to make a small place for ourselves in this big city. We’ll head out west every few months to visit our families and get back to the sun and nature, but Brooklyn is our forever home.

Was there an “a-ha” moment in your life that made you realize what you wanted to do?

It’s hard to beat seeing Kermit or Deadpool perform one of your scripts and feel like you might be doing exactly what you were meant to do.

What’s creative hill would you die on?

People don’t hate ads. They hate bad ads. Audiences want craft; they want storytelling, whether they realize it or not. It’s the reason we stop to watch a movie trailer on our phones for three minutes or rush to the theater. It’s the reason we listen to albums the minute they drop or visit galleries and museums. People want something different from the homogenous slop they’re fed in every infinite feed and unskippable ad.

It’s our jobs as creatives to provide something audiences cannot experience anywhere else. Make the 30 seconds memorable. Make the activation creative. The least we can do is create something that rewards the attention people willingly or unwillingly give our work.

Finish this sentence: “When I am in a creative rut, I _____ .”

… stop. I dig through my catalog of inspirations, from films to stickers to books to designers to ads and remind myself of the things that I love. Sometimes watching and listening goes a whole lot further than trying to push through.

Why’d you join Courage’s U.S. outpost launch?

Imagine being able to open a shop with your friends, and then actually getting the chance to do it. The three of us have been lucky to spend our careers making work we love with people we love. Yes, there are more independent shops than ever that can all point to their awards and cultural breakthroughs. But the tiebreaker will be the relationships clients build with their agencies. Steve and I have spent the past few years helping clients make their favorite work, the pieces they can’t wait to show their friends.

We’re following the model that has made Courage’s Toronto headquarters and Montreal office so successful: existing solely to solve clients’ problems with creative thinking while never losing the joy of making great work.

Can you talk about a time a campaign or project almost didn’t come to fruition?

In 2021, the NBA was celebrating its 75th anniversary, and our creatives (Johanna Martinez and Chanae Reed) wanted to create a film around a neighborhood housing the greatest players ever. It’s hard enough getting one or two players, never mind nearly 75 all-time greats. For Steve and I, it was a matter of what it would take, not how or why.

Initially, we had some interest from some players: a few recognizable names, but not the major stars that encapsulated the milestone. We knew the campaign was compelling, and we knew we were sitting on something special. We took a bet on ourselves, filmed the players we had and edited a version with holes to show our legends where they’d fit. And then we just sent it out.

A week or two later, the bet paid off. Players saw the cut. Lebron’s team saw the work, and he was ready to join. And once Lebron said yes—everyone else from Magic to Bill Russell to Durant suddenly went from “maybes” to “whens.” We got back the crew, another few days of shooting and capped it off with Michael B. Jordan driving the entire campaign.

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What’s overrated in marketing right now?

The why. We are wasting clients’ time and money over-debating the reasoning behind why we make the work and have lost the excitement around the how. We’re celebrating good meetings instead of great work and losing the plot on how simply the industry can function. Ultimately the goal is to create strategically sound, entertaining work that everyone can be stoked to be a part of. If done well, then all parties involved will benefit from the work.

Was there a mentor who helped you navigate the industry?

I’ve been incredibly lucky to be taught by great leaders, and none more so than Jason Campbell. Jason instilled in me that true creative leaders teach and protect, while holding craft as non-negotiable. He taught how it’s not enough to get a seat at the table, but to occupy the space and earn your keep.

What would you be doing if you weren’t in advertising?

Directing… in advertising.

You’ve got 2 minutes with the industry. What’s your hot take?

Advertising is not important. Advertising is entertainment. We spend too much time analyzing, dissecting, critiquing, and forgetting that we create small moments designed to provide emotional escapes when people least expect it. If we’re not enjoying the process, then how can we expect anyone else to?