Meet the Founder: Justin MacPhee’s Underdog Story
At the heart of Project Underdog sits one core belief: the underdog wins when they trust their game plan. That insight comes straight from our founder, Justin MacPhee.
From Sports Fan to Strategy Expert
Justin’s journey began with a love for sports and a passion for digital marketing. After graduating from the University of Guelph in Marketing Management, he went on to a key role at Publicis Media as a Programmatic Coordinator, handling ad campaigns and audience strategy for large brands.
But before that, he worked a few internships with Milwaukee Tool and King Ursa, an ad agency with a small team but a big heart.
It was in these internships that Justin witnessed a powerful truth: real success doesn’t come from copying others, it comes from playing your own best game.
Building the Underdog Playbook
Justin went on to manage over $500,000 in paid ad spend - across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Pinterest, for industry leaders like Timberland, Milwaukee Tool, Maple Lodge Farms, Zabiha Halal, and Thomas’ Bread.
He became fluent in:
Social media content strategy
Paid advertising execution
SEO/SEM tactics and analytics
Creating and optimizing cross-channel campaigns
Bringing It All Back to Local
Despite working with big brands, Justin’s real passion lay in helping small businesses, brands that know their strengths, but often don’t have the budget to compete at scale. He saw local businesses working hard, but too many were mimicking big-brand tactics that didn’t fit.
That’s when Project Underdog was born. It brings Justin’s paid-media muscle together with an underdog mindset: play smart, stay true, and make tactical adjustments.
Helping Local Businesses Win
As Founder & Social Media Consultant, Justin applies his depth of experience to help small businesses:
Launch organic and paid campaigns that drive real foot traffic
Build authentic brand voices that attract loyal audiences
Showcase results through clean analytics, not fluff
Want to Write Your Own Underdog Story?
If you’re a local business ready to compete on your terms, with strategy, grit, and heart. Justin is here to help.
Reach out: info@projectunderdog.ca
