Terry Poulton
Beckham starring in global Sharpie push
Sassy TV spots leveraging the soccer superstar’s penchant for scrawling his autograph with the client’s markers will hit Canadian air waves next month.
CBC bows Chinese-language website
The news site, which went live Wednesday, is aimed at B.C.’s Chinese audience. Guess which brand got in on the launch . . .
Notes from the mediascape:
Esquire gets flashy cover
With its September issue, the 75-year-old American monthly will become the first consumer magazine to use tiny batteries to literally stand out from the competition. Anybody know what ad category goes best with blinking lights?
Auto, home-improvement sectors heavy up on radio:
Media Monitors – July 14-20, 2008
While Chevrolet and Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge zoomed hundreds of spots to make it onto the top ten chart, two home improvement chains also bought big.
Judges announced for Extra Awards
Read on.
Kraft spreads Ritz Crackers work wide
Sharpe Blackmore’s premiere initiative for the client is ‘Spread the Ritz,’ a campaign built on the insight that consumers have an emotional connection with the snack crackers.
BBM Snapshot: Gift card buyers
Just how romantic are the 2.6 million Canadians who spent $250 or more on gift cards in the past year?
Levi’s bows biggest 501 push in jean history
Named ‘Live Unbuttoned’ to reference the fly design, the theme is to ‘experience unbuttoning yourself and breaking free from inhibitions and convention.’
Giant shampoo bottle startles Montreal
The 3-D version of Fructis Garnier product hanging on a downtown building is nearly 32 feet tall and almost five feet thick. This is going to require a lot of rinsing.
Captivate intros new products, partners
The digital OOH news and entertainment network is strengthening its editorial offerings by partnering with Canadian Economic Press News, QuoteMedia, Ecovert.ca and CP Images.
Calgary Zoo downsizes elephant ads (literally)
Leveraging the tagline ‘Littler is cuter,’ an unusual guerrilla marketing initiative is showing up in unusually small spots in the western city.
Spin Master double-decker-sizes Bakugan
To hype its Bakugan action game, the toy maker is animating Toronto’s Yonge-Dundas Square.
Big radio push by outdoor attractions:
Media Monitors – July 7-13, 2008
While Ontario Place climbed to #7 and Marineland rose to #4, Sears held onto #1 status.
Zig to create fall campaigns for Astral Radio
With media handled by independent buyer Dave Mitchell, the goal is to increase listening time on all three Toronto stations, especially by women.
CBC to CRTC: Rethink assumptions about new media
For one thing, contends the Ceeb, video advertising amounts to less than 1% of Canadian Internet advertising revenue, which is insufficient to offset losses from media fragmentation.
