In both hockey and life, greatness isn’t a moment—it’s a continuum. Every goal scored today echoes a history of grit, sacrifice, and teamwork. Every play on the ice is a fleeting present, shaped by past experience and pointing toward a greater purpose. And every fan, player, and family knows: the future is what you make of it.

For this year’s MassMutual x NHL campaign, we set out to explore the deep emotional parallels between the game of hockey and the journey of financial planning. Our creative concept—“Past. Present. Future.”—weaves together three core human truths and three foundational elements of the MassMutual brand: protection, presence, and planning.

As part of MassMutual’s official partnership with the NHL, I was brought on to art direct a broadcast and social campaign designed to strengthen the brand’s affinity with hockey fans while subtly reinforcing the core pillars of the MassMutual brand—planning, protection, and investment.

I was tasked with creating both a 30-second and 15-second commercial spot that would air during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs and be used across social platforms. The campaign needed to feel timely, emotionally resonant with NHL fans, and aligned with MassMutual’s broader brand messaging.

I developed and pitched seven distinct creative concepts, with the final selection being "Past, Present, Future"—a narrative-driven idea that leveraged the nostalgia and emotional highs of playoff hockey to draw a parallel with the long-term journey of financial planning. This concept artfully bridged the excitement of the NHL postseason with the enduring value MassMutual brings to its clients' lives.

Working directly with NHL Studios, I oversaw the edit and finishing of the spot, curating footage from Round 1 of the 2024 Playoffs to ensure authenticity and immediacy. Every visual cue and transition was designed to evoke a sense of legacy, momentum, and future-forward thinking—core themes that resonate with both hockey fans and MassMutual’s brand ethos.

The final commercial aired throughout the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, delivering a compelling mix of emotional storytelling and brand reinforcement. It successfully connected MassMutual’s values with the passion of hockey, deepening their bond with the NHL audience.

In professional hockey, as in life, no goal is ever achieved alone. That insight was the spark behind MassMutual’s 2025 campaign in partnership with the NHL. Entering our second year of collaboration, we set out to deepen brand affinity with hockey fans by anchoring our creative approach in a shared value: the power of support.

This year, we leaned more assertively into product-focused messaging while preserving the emotional resonance established in year one. The campaign’s central metaphor—"Behind every great goal are great assists"—positioned MassMutual’s financial professionals as the unsung heroes behind personal and financial milestones. It was an authentic bridge between the emotional world of sports and the practical value of MassMutual’s services: planning, protection, and investment.

Emotionally, the campaign needed to feel immediate and resonant; strategically, it had to communicate MassMutual’s relevance without overt advertising. We achieved this balance through curated playoff footage, carefully crafted voiceover, and pacing that mirrored the intensity and grace of postseason hockey. Every visual decision—from the transition cadence to the shot selection—was designed to echo the legacy, momentum, and future-forward thinking that unites both the NHL and MassMutual audiences.

As part of MassMutual’s official NHL partnership, I served as Art Director for a broadcast and social campaign timed to the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. My role spanned concept development, visual direction, and final delivery across a 30-second and 15-second spot.

Working closely with NHL Studios, I led the creative direction from pitch to post-production. I curated authentic game footage from the 2024 Playoffs, ensuring the campaign had a sense of real-time relevance and emotional weight. Our narrative—rooted in the theme of “assists”—elevated the often-unseen work of financial professionals and paralleled it with the crucial plays behind every winning goal.

The final spots aired during the Stanley Cup Playoffs and were distributed across NHL and MassMutual’s digital platforms. The campaign successfully deepened MassMutual’s connection with hockey fans by aligning the brand’s core pillars with the emotional highs of the sport, demonstrating that behind every milestone—on the ice or in life—there’s someone helping you get there.