CANVVS Launches Sneaker Competition Series with Rakuten, Stephen Curry

CANVVS appointed OS Studios as Agency of Record to produce 'Art of the Game', a sneaker creator competition series launched in partnership with Rakuten. Stephen Curry serves as a judge.

The premiere episode launched March 22, 2026. The series features sneaker designers competing in challenges judged by Curry and other industry figures.

CANVVS is a creative studio and production company based in Los Angeles. OS Studios is their production arm. The agency has worked with brands including Nike, Jordan Brand, and Converse.

Rakuten is a Japanese e-commerce and internet services company with operations in 30 countries. The company sponsors the Golden State Warriors, where Curry plays. Rakuten's U.S. advertising has historically focused on cashback rewards and shopping benefits.

'Art of the Game' represents a shift toward content marketing for Rakuten's advertising strategy. The series combines product placement with entertainment programming: a format increasingly common among brands targeting Gen Z and millennial audiences.

The appointment of OS Studios as AOR indicates Rakuten expanded beyond traditional advertising formats. The production involves multi-episode content with celebrity talent, suggesting significant production budget and long-term content strategy.

CANVVS has not disclosed episode count, distribution platform, or campaign duration. The series launched on social media channels first, with broader distribution plans unconfirmed.

The Curry partnership connects Rakuten's Warriors sponsorship to consumer-facing content. The sneaker competition format targets the intersection of sports culture, fashion, and e-commerce: core audiences for both Rakuten's marketplace and Curry's brand appeal.

This marks CANVVS's first publicly disclosed work with Rakuten.