Nowhere else in the world is there a Castle Frank station, except in Toronto. Its moniker was a fortuitous find for the team at Proof when it was brainstorming a compelling tie into Marvel’s The Punisher, a new Netflix show about a Marine vet — Frank Castle — who becomes a vigilante out to avenge the murder of his family. The TTC station became the hub for a sweeping out-of-home takeover-cum-manhunt.

The agency blended the already-existing fandom (the series is based on a popular comic book) with what audiences would see in the new TV series. It worked with the global Netflix team to align on every detail, creating “wanted” posters rooted in the visual identity of the upcoming show. Proof then collaborated with Mediabrands, the TTC and Pattison Advertising to place the OOH ads, which revolved around a search for the vigilante.

The campaign went beyond simply reaching commuters as “Castle, Frank” was received with gusto by fans. People were surprised by the serendipitous link, and jumped at the chance to share selfies and photos of the ads online, resulting in over 1.5 million social impressions.