What it had to solve
The first WNBA game in Canada was a historic sports moment for the country, and the league wanted a celebration that matched its weight while inspiring young girls and women to play basketball.
How it works
The 'Signed, Toronto' sculpture travelled to locations across downtown Toronto in the run-up to the sold-out game; fans of all ages signed it and left with a WNBA Sharpie, Tangerine — the WNBA's first foundational partner in Canada — ran daily ticket giveaways, and the Chicago Sky, Minnesota Lynx and commissioner Cathy Engelbert added their signatures before it went on display at Scotiabank Arena.
What it did
Thousands of fans signed the sculpture; the game sold out, and the piece stood as a physical record of the first WNBA game on Canadian soil.
Background
When the WNBA played its first game on Canadian soil — a sold-out matchup between the Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena in May 2023 — NBA Canada and agency The Local Collective decided the only proper celebration was architectural: a 12-foot-tall WNBA logo sculpture, 'Signed, Toronto'.
The sculpture toured downtown Toronto ahead of the game, and fans of all ages lined up to add their signatures, each leaving with a WNBA Sharpie as a keepsake. Tangerine, the league's first foundational partner in Canada, ran daily giveaways for tickets to the sold-out game.
By game day the sculpture carried thousands of fan signatures plus those of both teams and WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, and went on display at Scotiabank Arena as a monument to the moment — part of a weeklong experiential activation extended by digital and social assets.
Why it lands
The object does double duty: travelling street teaser, then in-arena monument.
The Sharpie handback made participation tangible and shareable.
Team and commissioner signatures gave the artifact official, historical weight.
What you can take
For a first-of-its-kind event, let the audience co-author the artifact — signatures turn spectators into signatories.
Since then
The sculpture was displayed at Scotiabank Arena for the game, with digital and social content carrying the activation during and after the match.
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