Last week saw a cluster of categories huddling at the number two spot in the top three categories with the most new TV advertisers. All tied at number two (at 12%) are automotive, public service, retail and travel and transportation. Claiming gold is entertainment at 18%. Over the same time period, Jan.20-26, last year’s gold went to drug products at a whopping 43%, followed by entertainment at 29%. Check out others topping the charts, and which brands had the most new spots. This info was gathered through Montreal-based ELODA’s online TV ad tracking, auditing and viewing services. All data supplied is based on the ELODA recording grid.
http://www.eloda.com

Discovery Channel’s six-part series, Building the Biggest looks at engineering feats across the globe in each episode. The first show investigates the construction of a diamond mine near the Arctic Circle, where temperatures drop below -50 degrees Celsius. Building the Biggest premieres Thursday, Feb. 23 at 9 p.m.

BBC Canada is putting a modern spin on some time-honoured favourites in March with Shakespeare Retold. The four 90-minute productions include The Taming of the Shrew done as an opposition MP instructed to find a husband to make her more electable and Macbeth in which an arrogant chef is driven to murder. Also on offer are Much Ado About Nothing, a romantic comedy set in a regional newsroom and finally A Midsummer Night’s Dream which chronicles a surreal weekend at a holiday park featuring four warring couples, a donkey’s head and a gaggle of fairies. The tales air Sundays at 9 p.m., beginning March 5. Also on tap is The Grid, a six-ep look at the professional and personal lives of U.S. and U.K. counter-terrorist agents. The Grid airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m., beginning March 1.

The Outdoor Life Network is premiering the new hour-long show Rock the Boat in March. The series will follow boat-builder John West and his crew as they build custom boats in San Diego. West’s boats have been featured on 22 magazine covers and have won Powerboat Magazine‘s ‘Boat of the Year’ twice. Rock the Boat premieres March 3 at 9 p.m.

The half-hour Monster Warriors makes its debut on Saturday, March 18 at 10:30 a.m., repeating Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. The series combines live-action with 3-D CGI animation and follows four teens as they attempt to save Capital City from destruction. Target demo is kids 6-11.

BBDO Toronto debuted a Western Canada campaign touting the benefits of cable company Shaw’s high-speed Internet service. Blink a couple of times and you might even miss it. Four 7.5-second TV ads are currently in rotation focusing on the benefits of speed. A direct mail execution created by BBDO’s DM arm, Proximity Canada, uses a piece that delivers the competitor’s message visually within folded layers of information meant to exhibit the usual wait time for downloading content. On the other hand, the Shaw High-Speed Internet service piece gets its message across in one easy fold. Radio spots called High Speed Moments follow everyday scenarios that blitz through storylines, leaving the listener with only the beginning and the end of the story. Other campaign executions include print ads, online banners, retail posters and bill inserts. All elements feature the tagline: The broadband experience. It’s fast. Dom Caruso, chief planning officer at BBDO says the agency created the campaign to appeal to a broader demo, from the 60+ folks to the teenage influencer in the home. Media buys were done by PhD Canada.

Please open the attached link to view BBM’s Commercial Television Tracking Service GRPS by week and month for Toronto and Vancouver covering the broadcast months of December 2004 to December 2005 inclusive. GRPS are based on commercial minute ratings.

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