Luton, U.K.-based easyJet is exploring a new way to woo customers.

According the Guardian, the short- and mid-haul airline announced Sunday "its intention to hold mid-air marriage ceremonies in the near future."



Read More >> Winners in the Creative category of the 2009 Summit International Awards were announced late last month. Among them were (ahem) your good friends at The Globe and Mail.

At the risk of sounding immodest, we're very proud to have been honoured with three silver and two bronze awards for our trade Hands campaign. SIA judges received thousands of submissions from 26 countries--so we were up against some pretty stiff competition!

Read More >> Jennifer Wells talks to the principals of X Connections, a new firm that's part of the Zig family. In Created, she looks back at a 1955 ad for Chrysler's Dodge La Femme. And in Noted, she reports that Doritos will announce the winner of its "What the F---" campaign later today.

Read More >> CANADIAN CONSUMERS ARE BARGAIN HUNTING when it comes to brand names but will not give up their digital TV, home Internet or wireless services.

A new study by Toronto ad agency Bensimon Byrne and Gandalf Group reveals a "culture of thrift" emerging, with 81 per cent of those surveyed saying they have cut spending.

Of 1,500 people surveyed, 84 per cent said they cared less about brand names and 81 per cent said they were more likely to buy no-name products.

However, digital TV, home Internet and wireless have emerged as the "new utilities," with almost 70 per cent refusing to cut back on what they deem to be essential.

Read More >> Because it's Friday, something fun.

Animators Lucinda Schreiber and Yanni Kronenberg "shot roughly 1,900 frames" to create an all-chalk animation for Autumn Story by Australian band Firekites.



Read More >> Speaking of swine flu, does selling ad space on medical face masks strike you as a good idea?

Yeah, us neither.

Read More >> Two weeks ago, the Domino's catastrophe led many marketers to re-examine their crisis management strategies.

Yesterday, Ad Age published another list of how to manage bad news, this time in the context of the swine flu outbreak.



Read More >> Phishing not only hurts consumers, it can devastate a brand's image. But marketers are fighting back.

To do so, they need to cooperate with online security experts to raise consumer confidence in interacting with their brands online," Ad Age writes.

Read More >> Because it's Friday, something fun.



Note: If you're not a hardware geek or Queen fan, I apologize in advance. If you're one or the other, you're going like this. And if you're both (as is your humble blogger), you will find this video all shades of awesome.

Read More >> Jennifer Wells looks at the brand that is Martha. Despite the fact that revenues and profits in her empire have fallen dramatically, Ms. Stewart's "do it yourself" message seems tailor-made for consumers facing a tough economy. In Noted, Wells introduces us to Big Rock Brewery's Shelagh McNally, who "came up with the idea of making hay look like a giant can of Big Rock's Traditional Ale." And in Created, she praises a multi-platform Cadbury campaign that aims to provide bicycles for Ghanaian children.

Read More >> FLAT MAY BE THE "NEW UP" when it comes to ad spending, says ZenithOptimedia. The media services group is predicting a stagnant Canadian ad market for 2009, as marketers scale back spending in reaction to the global financial crisis.

Canadian ad spending is expected to reach $10.06-billion this year, essentially flat from the $10.04-billion spent in 2008. And that's a good thing, says ZenithOptimedia president Sunni Boot.

The group forecasts ad spending next year will reach $10.25-billion, climbing to $10.5-billion in 2011.


Read More >> Marketing magazine's executive publisher and editor-in-chief Christopher Loudon recently chatted with Bonnie Brooks, the Bay's high-profile new CEO.

One of Canada's most respected retail executives, Brooks has her work cut out for her. The Bay is a storied brand with an impressive history. But it's also a little worn around the edges, and it's clear that the current economic climate is not the optimal one for brand reinvention.

Read More >>