Because it's Friday, something fun.

Technically, it's "a polyphone synthesizer with a simple delay" implemented in Flash, according to the developer's blog.

Sounds kind of dry, right? Try playing with it for a while and see if you can stop.



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Eighty Sobeys stores in Atlantic Canada have just installed check-out conveyor belts imprinted with ad messages, reports in Media in Canada.

The "Art-N-Line" belts, developed by Little Rock, Ark.-based Envision Marketing, are custom-produced and -printed, and can display a wide variety of images and messages.

Sounds like a natural use of space previously unexploited by grocery stores, right? Which begs the question: Why haven't we seen this before?

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Happy 40th anniversary of the first moon walk!

This seems like as good a time as any to plaster the pristine surface of the moon with corporate branding, right?



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Sure it sounds glamorous.

And it is! It's also a great honour to be picked to serve on a Cannes Lions jury.

Yet, as Marketing magazine's Jeromy Lloyd reports, fulfilling the duty isn't all fun and games. In fact, it's a lot of hard work.

Lloyd's story is a remarkable piece of reporting that describes the judging process--and all the heated debate, philosophical musing and political jockeying that accompany it.

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Susan Krashinsky looks at the Canadian Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative: Year One Compliance Report. In Created, she reports that several companies "have penned partnership deals positioning advertising around the reappearance [of TV show Mad Men] to impatient fans." In Noted, Krashinsky brings us the results of an online survey about green purchasing decisions. Finally, she reports on astroturfing, the practice of having company employees post rave online reviews on behalf of their company's product or service.

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IN A FOREBODING SIGN FOR THE AD INDUSTRY as a whole, declines in U.S. media advertising will hit $14.5-billion (U.S.), according to a report released this week by media services and market research company Magna.

It's mid-year 2009 U.S. forecast indicates an ad industry rebound is still a long way off.

By the end of the year, Magna predicts ad revenues from media suppliers will have dropped 18 per cent compared to 2008.

However Magna's outlook for outdoor and online advertising was much sunnier, predicting these would recover faster than any other sector.

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CTV has just released a new tool that will help it better connect with viewers, Media in Canada reports.

The broadcaster's Primetime Widget "delivers CTV-branded content with customizable features, like format choice for content delivery--text-only, text and image, video, Flash or animation--and a dynamic skin that can be changed according to show preference. Once viewers identify their picks, the widget filters content so they only receive relevant info, like new ep reminders, links to previews or full online eps on CTV.ca."

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Quebecor World has just launched a service that can add a new dimension to traditional print products.

Intended for flyers, catalogues, magazines and inserts, the company's new Flexappeal lets marketers produce "peel-and-sniff" pieces in an almost any shape, sporting any image and featuring any of 160 scents "from that new car smell to roasted turkey to the stench of an ashtray," according to Media in Canada.

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Michael and Michael, which debuts on Comedy Central this Wednesday, will feature "live commercials" as part of its storyline.

Although one of the Michaels--Showalter, in this case--"is keenly aware of the flak that can come from inviting sponsors into a scripted comedy," he maintains that the device will suit the program's format and the duo's peculiar style of comedy.



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Eric Pierni is the senior marketing manager for Kijiji Canada and responsible for overseeing the company's advertising sales. As a member of the original team that launched Kijiji Canada Classifieds in 2005, Pierni played an integral role in developing and driving the website’s original online marketing strategy, including all of Kijiji’s Internet and offline marketing campaigns. He has also been involved in Kijiji’s community building and product development activities.Pierni joined the eBay group of companies in 2002 to help solidify eBay Canada’s position as the leading e-commerce destination in Canada. Previously, he worked at Mamma.com Inc, an online search technology company, where he helped drive the company’s business results by servicing the business development team.Pierni is a graduate from Concordia University where he earned a B. Comm. in Marketing.

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Susan Krashinsky looks at Canadian regulations for direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising and how they differ from those south of the border. In Created, she reports that "Brazil-based Wi-Fi provider Vex Corporation expanded into Canada this week, with plans to set up connections across the country." In Noted, Krashinsky chats with Heather Conway, the new Canadian CEO of Edelman Worldwide. And in Quoted, she brings us a Chatham, Ont.-based funeral home's novel marketing campaign.

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SHOPPING WITH IRONY

A Vancouver advertising agency is proving you don't have to be earnest to be environmentally friendly. It's irony-dense canvas shopping bags, featuring messages such as "See ladies, I am sensitive," and "I (heart) imported produce," are creating a buzz around the ad community. The shopping bags sell for $25 on the website for TBWA/Vancouver, with proceeds going to one of its not-for-profit clients.

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