August 2009

Because it's Friday, something fun.

Inspired by the infamous Banff squirrel, American Airlines has decided to re-air its own tribute to furry-tailed rodents.



Source: AdFreak.

Read More >
Simon Houpt examines the rise of cause marketing. "Hardly a day goes by without a marketer announcing a new socially oriented initiative," he observes. In Created, Houpt brings us a PSA that graphically depicts the gruesome consequences of texting and driving gone wrong. In Quoted, he cites new research that suggests we're more susceptible to ad claims when we're sleepy, which may in part explain the effectiveness of late-night infomercials. And in Noted, Houpt writes that TD Canada Trust is running ads that depict same-sex couples "confronting the bland realities of middle-age: long-term commitment, retirement savings tools and monthly mortgage payments."

Read More >
Most consumers come across a milk carton during the course of a day, whether on the breakfast table, in a grocery store aisle or in a school lunchroom. It's only natural then, for marketers to want to capitalize on this access to deliver a brand message.

While not new, the practice has been revived thanks in part to the rise of companies that specialize in milk carton advertising.

Read More >
DO WE FILE THIS ONE UNDER “JELLIES WITH GENITALIA”? Reports surfaced this week that a British man had complained that the packaging for Haribo brand's Maoam sour candies depicted fruits in a pornographic manner. According to the ever-reliable target="_blank">Daily Mail, Simon Simpkins of West Yorkshire complained to a local shopkeeper about the candy wrappers, in which, he said, "The lemon and lime are locked in what appears to be a carnal encounter." Now, though, it appears it was all a publicity stunt. Seems pretty fruity to us.

Read More >


Laurene is a career direct marketer, with 20 years of hands-on experience helping marketers acquire and retain customers, build CRM methodologies and determine their channel choices. She has held executive roles in Canada’s best-in-class direct marketing advertising agencies Blitz Direct, Data & Promotion, MacLaren McCann Direct and Vickers & Benson Direct, where she developed industry-leading programs for marketers like Bell Canada, Bank of Montreal, General Motors of Canada, Rogers (Cantel) and Shoppers Drug Mart.

Laurene is an in-demand speaker and advocate for direct marketing and direct mail. She is the 2007 recipient of the Direct Marketer of the Year Award from the Direct Marketing Association of Toronto.

As the leader of Canada Post’s fastest growing line of business, Laurene Cihosky champions the enduring power of direct mail as a business-builder for marketers in Canada.

Read More >
Ad Age reports that YouTube has begun placing ads on its most-popular videos.

This isn't just good news for amateur video-makers, who stand to profit from their efforts, or at least defray production costs. Advertisers can benefit too. The new system, which launched yesterday, will in some cases, "allow advertisers to jump on relevant videos as they go viral, rather than just choosing from videos produced by existing YouTube partners."



Read More >
Mathew Ingram is The Globe and Mail’s Communities Editor and a leading expert on social media. His journalism career includes work with for the London Free Press, Alberta Report and the Financial Times and in his career with The Globe he has covered the stock market, business, and technology. He is a co-founder of mesh, the leading Canadian Web conference, which is holding its first meshmarketing event on October 22 in Toronto.

Read More >
Well, that didn't take long.

Last quarter, the iPhone's share of the global smartphone market rose to 13%, up from 3% during same quarter in 2008. And, not surprisingly, adoption rates for Apple's innovative device are highest in companies that focus on advertising, marketing or media.

Those marketshare figures are Gartner's, courtesy of a recent Ad Age article.


Read More >
HOW THIN-SKINNED ARE TORONTONIANS? Three months ago, Molson Coors Brewing put up a billboard announcing that its Coors Light beer was "Colder than most people from Toronto." But after a Toronto newspaper ran a story on the ad this week, prompting a flurry of online carping, the brewer apologized and pledged to take down the offending creative. At least one Twittering Torontonian shrugged off the brew-ha-ha (sorry, we couldn't resist), tweeting, "We're not offended that you called us cold. We're offended that you suggested we'd drink Coors."

Read More >
Simon Houpt looks at product placement and explains why Canada is behind the States when comes to adopting this growing practice. In Created, he reviews a Virgin Mobile ad that spoofs the infamous restaurant scene in When Harry Met Sally. In Quoted, Houpt reports on the Canadian Tourism Commission's effort to get the video diaries of two travellers to go viral. And in Noted, Houpt writes about the video ad planned for the Sept. 18 issue of Entertainment Weekly.

Read More >


This fall, Los Angeles- and New York-area subscribers to Entertainment Weekly will experience a media first.

EW's Sept. 18 issue, a preview of the upcoming television season, will include a bona fide video player among it pages. The player is part of a print ad for CBS that will promote the network's new Monday night line-up along with Pepsi Max.

Read More >


Ah, those lovable folks over at the Bank of Canada. No mere economists mired in calculations and prognostications there, just a group of fun lovers who are whooping it up by declaring our recession’s end.

If they’re right--and when have they ever been known not to be?--does this presage a return to the good old days of frenzied hiring, signing bonuses and multiple job offers, just like the year 2000 if you were, say, a web designer at the height of that particular bubble?

Nope, don’t think so. But there might be a turnaround in the works which you can take advantage of. Why not consider searching for a better job?

Read More >