NICE TO MEET YOU
I'm Mike —
A Toronto-based Executive Creative Director
For over 16 years I've been the in-house creative director behind some of Canada's most recognizable entertainment brands — Cineplex, The Rec Room, and Playdium. I built and lead Cineplex's 20-person in-house creative agency: a full-service team of designers, writers, motion designers, and producers delivering award-winning brand storytelling at national scale.
In-house is a different kind of creative leadership. There's no rotating client roster — there's one brand you know deeply, defend fiercely, and evolve constantly. That closeness is a superpower: it's how a menu redesign lifts category sales by double digits, and how a popcorn giveaway becomes a Gold-winning national brand moment.
Creative leadership with purpose.
Mike leads Cineplex’s in-house creative agency - a 20-person team of designers, writers, video editors, project managers, and producers - dedicated to creating work that’s as intelligent as it is beautiful.
He’s driven by three things: smart ideas, meaningful collaboration, and creativity that delivers measurable business impact.
Some highlights along the way:
• Guided major brand refreshes for Cineplex, The Rec Room, and Playdium.
• Developed national campaigns that boosted sales, deepened brand affinity, and earned recognition across multiple creative and industry awards.
• Built sustainable systems and processes that continue to deliver millions in creative cost efficiencies each year.
• Champion of AI-driven tools and workflows that help creative teams work faster, smarter, and more inspired — without losing the human spark.
What I lead
Disciplines
Disciplines
Creative Strategy
Brand Identity
Campaign Strategy
Design Systems
Leadership & Team Development
Digital & Social Content
Design & Art Direction
Creative Operations
Motion Design & Animation
App & Mobile Design
Augmented Reality
Technology & AI Integration
Fiscal & Creative Budgeting
Creative Strategy
Design & Art Direction
Visual Identity
Creative Operations
Budgeting & Management
Photo Art Direction
Motion Design & Animation
App & Mobile Design
Augmented Reality
Tools
Tools
Tools
Photoshop
Illustrator
InDesign
After Effects
Premier
Cinema 4D
Wrike / Workfront
Gen Ai Tools
Claude Code
ChatGPT
WisprFlow
Sony Gear
Photoshop
Illustrator
InDesign
After Effects
Premier
Sketch
Cinema 4D
Photoshop
Illustrator
InDesign
After Effects
Premier
Sketch
Cinema 4D
Speaker
Speaker
Speaker
2025 - In-House Agency Forum Webinar
Topic: Lights, Camera, ROI—Proving the Value of Creativity
2019 - Henry Stewart Creative Operations San Diego
Topic: Spilling the Popcorn - How to Manage the Growth of your In-House Agency
2016 - Slack Amazing Teams Toronto
Panelist
Awards
Awards
Awards
Gold - 2023 National Popcorn Day Campaign - Multimedia Campaings | In-House Creativity Awards By IHAF
Silver, IHAF Creativity Awards 2025 · The Rec Room menu and point-of-sale creative
Silver, IHAF Creativity Awards 2025 · Epic Award corporate communications video
Honorable Mention for The Rec Room's Rec The Halls Holiday Campaign - Social Media, Paid Posts, Multi-Platform | In-House Creativity Awards by IHAF
Merit Winner in the HOW In-House Design Awards 2018 for Melt
Merit Winner in the HOW In-House Design Awards 2018 for The Greatest Joy
Merit Winner in the HOW In-House Design Awards 2018 for Melt
Merit Winner in the HOW In-House Design Awards 2018 for The Greatest Joy
Merit Winner in the HOW In-House Design Awards 2018 for Melt
Merit Winner in the HOW In-House Design Awards 2018 for The Greatest Joy
Resume
Resume
Resume
You can get my latest resume by downloading it here.
Mike Lucas
is Vinyldust
mike@vinyldust.com
© Mike Lucas 2026
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