// West Valley Market’s ad campaign called mini-mart was listed under top ads in stimulant & I see why (photo ripped from stimulant) . Taxi Vancouver created awareness for the family-owned grocery store by putting miniature food display’s on streets & near condos near the market. My favorite idea is the 500 miniature pots planted with vegetable seeds that were left on condo door steps so people could have a small taste of the farm. Vancouver Island needs to open a similar market now, I would be the first to place all of the cute minis.
// AdAge posted some noteworthy news on a new startup tv network called blip.tv, and gave a pretty good idea as to what they are up to. Blip TV = A new world where thousands of startup web shows that address a niche and are ad-friendly will live. Big surprise, I know. Blip is looking to content like “Nostalgia Critic,” “Epic Fu,” “Average Betty” and 48,000 other shows. Blip.tv announced new distribution deals, including YouTube, NBC local sites, the Roku set-top box and IAC’s Vimeo. blip.tv’s existing distribution with Verizon Fios, Sony TVs, Apple’s iTunes, AOL, MSN, Facebook and MySpace = maximum distribution online. YouTube will apparently share analytics with blip.tv, so the network can tap into ComScore & receive more targeted metrics for advertisers. Interesting interview above on Blip.tv’s CEO, Dina Kaplan.
// I was interested in the Caribana campaigns targeting Tourism this year to find out what the creative brains had planned (not because my better 1/2 is half trini). Mainly traditional ads have been at play. I did like when horrendous line ups, calypso music, steel pan bands, DJ’s and celebrities engulf our city, Pearson International Airport decided on a pop, jazz and reggae welcoming orchestra to play some music (in ’08 32.3 million passengers travelled through this airport). The 42nd Toronto Caribbean Carnival aka Caribana festival, the largest Caribbean festival in North America, attracts over a million participants every year, mainly Americans.
//”Content That Matters” is the new ad campaign slogan for Urbanology Magazine’s Anniversary. Looking to build buzz, awareness and a subscriber base, the mag found a way to give back to do it. Throughout July, a contest called “Spot That Ad” contest will run in Toronto (where the mag planted roots). Head to a Toronto subway station to find the ad, and if you happen to spot that ad, take a photo and upload it onto Twitter,MySpace, Facebook or Flickr to get a full year subscription of the publication. I am going to keep my eyes open for it and post here if I catch it.
// cool-things-in-random-places posted this beautiful sculpture that was made in the Atacama desert in Chile in ’92 by the talented artist, Mario Irarrazabal. The firstsculpture of a hand drowning was created as a warning to swimmers nearby. Being my birthday today, I leave you with this post to marvel at while I go celebrate and hope for the best as I head to a boat cruise (cross my fingers for sunshine).
// The Media & Marketing Awards (now under ownership of C Squared) has posted their shortlists in all categories. Below is the mention for the Best International Launch Campaign, it was the most interesting to me.
// I am hoping to see the 34th Toronto International Film Festival world premiere gala presentation of the movie Creation(a biographical drama film about the life of Charles Darwin). Directed by Jon Amiel, produced by Jeremy Thomas, starring Paul Bettany as Darwin, and Jennifer Connelly as his wife, Emma.
// I couldn’t resist finding the video for YrWall, my brother (who is an artist) would love this tool. As the website explains, it is an interactive drawing art tool where users create virtual digital graffiti on a large wall using a modified spray paint can. It’s basically graffiti with a can that contains no paint, only a button and IR light source tracked using a computer vision system. Comp of stimulant: It’s the brainchild of UK-based interactive visual art co Lumacoustics, which has its roots in the Bristol street art scene. I want to try it!
// CMD reported on an interesting opportunity today. Toronto city workers on a brutal strike, one of the major downfalls has been the disgusting garbage piling up at temp dumping grounds around the city (parks included). Some people were asked to double bag their garbage, so in flew Glad to the rescue. Glad donated 25,000 bags for bins & recycling bags to residents by the “glad clean-up crew.” Times and locations are listed @ www.Gladtotherescue.com.
//A nice new line 6.0 is. Adage has the news on Nike 6.0 who used action sports channel, Fuel TV, to push their new line of sports gear this month. Nike is basically allowed to take majority control of the network to showcase the line during the promo. Fuel scheduled Nike sponsored programming and incorporated Nike 6.0 athletes to appear on the network. You can check out Nike 6.0 and the BMX team, including Nigel Sylvester, on Fuel here. (YouTube clips make it super easy to access content).
