Plot is a new Toronto-based hybrid creative studio built to close the gap between strategy, creative, and production. Founded by Rahul Madan (Managing Director), Maxim Vlassenko (Executive Producer), and Eric Richards (Creative Director), the company was created to help brands and agencies shape stories worth telling and bring them to life through a model that is fast, collaborative, and deeply rooted in culture.
Plot’s model is built on a curated team approach, pulling in the right talent for each project while keeping founders hands-on throughout. The result is a streamlined process that embeds directly with partners to deliver strategy, creative, and production under one roof.
“When we started Plot, we wanted to strip away the barriers that usually slow creative work down,” said Rahul Madan, Managing Director and co-founder. “For us, it’s about being close to our partners, staying nimble, and making sure the ideas we bring to life are thoughtful and actually connect with people.”
The three founders bring distinct but complementary backgrounds. Vlassenko comes from a traditional production pedigree, most recently serving as Senior Creative Director at UNINTERRUPTED Canada, LeBron James’ media company. Richards and Madan co-founded What I Like Studio, where they honed their skills across fashion, music, film, and photography while directing concept-driven cultural work. Together, they have spent the past decade moving seamlessly between creative direction, production, and strategy, laying the foundation for Plot.
“I’ve seen how rigid production models can get in the way of great ideas,” said Maxim Vlassenko, Executive Producer and co-founder. “With Plot, we wanted something more fluid—where the right team comes together at the right time to create work that feels real and relevant.”
Recent Work
Recent work highlights the breadth of Plot’s creative and production capabilities—spanning cultural campaigns, evergreen brand storytelling, and global platforms.
For Saje, Plot developed a multi-channel evergreen campaign that far exceeded performance benchmarks and is now being submitted for industry award recognition. The team also collaborated with Rethink on Maxwell House’s “Maxwell Apartment”, a massive success generating more than 2 billion impressions. With Stella Artois, created with GUT (Amsterdam), draftLine, and Vayner Media, the team helped shape the Wimbledon brand platform, producing the tournament’s highest-performing content and reinforcing Stella’s leadership among global sponsors. Plot also partnered with Holt Renfrew, SUPERFANTASTIC, and FUNCTION on the House of Renfrew Pride 2025 campaign, anchored in Ballroom culture and celebrating community, self-expression, and chosen family across Holt Renfrew’s social channels and in-store platforms throughout Pride month in Toronto.
“Working with Plot has been an incredible experience — they bring strategy, creativity, and production together seamlessly, making the process feel effortless. They’re collaborative, nimble, and always focused on craft, which makes them a partner I can trust time and again.”
– André Amaral: Global Marketing Director, Stella Artois
“The landscape of modern advertising has changed. Flexibility, agility and an ability to problem solve with budget constraints is simply par for the course. For Saje, Plot has been an instrumental part of our creative process and production, consistently acting as an extension of our team to deliver stellar results.
They truly understand our needs as a digitally-forward company and maker-culture, helping us to produce and create content libraries of work through motion and stills that can flex as needed throughout the consumer journey. What’s more, craft is never compromised, and corners are never cut to truly deliver best-in-class campaigns at the speed of culture.
There’s never a “no” or phone call they’ve not picked up to help us out, and for that I’m truly grateful.”
– Jess Willis: Executive Creative Director, Saje Natural Wellness
Plot is doubling down on a model designed for the future of advertising: scalable teams that adapt quickly and deliver creative, production, and design solutions at any stage of the process. By integrating creative and production in-house, work stays sharp, efficient, and human. The result is a more flexible, modern approach to campaigns—speed and scalability without sacrificing quality.
“We’ve always looked to culture — music, film, photography, fashion—as the starting point for our ideas,” added Eric Richards, Creative Director and co-founder. “It’s what makes the work feel real and meaningful, not just another campaign. It keeps us connected to the people on the other side of the screen.”
Recognition
Plot earned two Telly Awards for its work on Saje’s Dermedial Carrot+ campaign and Justin Nozuka’s CHLORINE album rollout. The team also received the 2023 CAFA Award for Next Gen talent, with Madan serving as a 2025 JUNO Awards judge and Richards and Madan mentoring emerging creative directors through the RBC Music Program.
For more information, visit https://madebyplot.com.
