Cortex Publishing forecasts a big, Beautiful summer
For the folks at Toronto-based Cortex Publishing, big is beautiful. On July 29, Beautiful, a brand new women’s health, fashion and lifestyle magazine for the size 14+ market, hits newsstands across North America. It promises ‘Vogue-style’ fashion spreads and size-positive editorial. According to a news release, the pub is the place for the fashion and beauty industries to demonstrate their acceptance of the full-figured woman as a fashion icon.
Beautiful will be published bi-monthly as separate Canadian and U.S. editions with a cover price of $5.95 in each currency. Three issues are on tap for 2005 with six slated for 2006. Beautiful‘s primary target readership is women 25-44 with a personal income of less than $24K up to $44K. A one-time, full-page ad runs $8,750 in Canada (guaranteed rate base of 50,000) and Us$25,950 in the U.S. (guaranteed rate base of 200,000). Requests for complimentary copies of the premiere issue can be fulfilled on their Web site.
www.beautifulmagazine.net
Amazing wins race
CTV scored a record audience for the finale of reality show The Amazing Race 7 on Tuesday. The two-hour wrap-up show drew 4.2 million viewers during the final half hour. The average-minute aud 2+ was 3.83 million, according to BBM.
New Panasonic Theatre set to open in June
The new Panasonic Theatre in downtown Toronto will boast more than the talents of the Blue Man Group next month. As part of its sponsorship package, Panasonic will outfit the theatre lobby with plasma screens of various sizes mounted on ceilings and pillars reminiscent of an art installation. A 65-inch plasma screen will provide the main focal point upon entry. Wakeham & Associates Marketing (WAM), a division of Sponsorship Marketing Group, LLC, brokered the deal.
‘There will be a large ‘Panasonic Theatre’ sign on the marquee and we will have our product catalogues on stands in the lobby,’ reports Ian Kilvert of Panasonic Canada. ‘Depending on the room available inside, we may have a poster in the lobby (as well as) a full page ad in the program.’ On-site staff will also be outfitted in Panasonic Theatre-branded uniforms. The theatre will open for previews on June 7 with a gala opening on June 19.
Gillette, Much ring up promo
Tapping into the popular new ad opp trend, ringtone sponsorship, Gillette is working with CHUM Interactive to promote TAG body spray for men. Starting on May 16 at www.muchmusic.com, users will be able to download a free Tag ringtone from the MuchShop located at www.shop.muchmusic.com. Tag has partnered with MuchMusic.com to offer users one of 5,000 free Tag ringtones that can be downloaded to users’ mobile phones, literally putting the Tag brand in the back pockets of consumers across Canada. The cost to the consumer is generally $2 per ringtone, but in this case, Gillette covers the bill (the company gets a discount for purchasing in bulk.)
New Canuck/U.K. Sci-fi series gets green light
Space has signed on for season one of Ice Planet, a series about the marooned crew of a spaceship. The folks behind the Starhunter series, producers Daniel D’Or and Philip Jackson, have a five-season storyline in mind. They start shooting in Toronto this summer, and also in the U.K., on a budget of $32.5 million, as a ‘twinned coproduction’ between Toronto-based SpaceWorks Entertainment and Highgate Films in London.
The series stars perennial tough guy Michael Ironside (The Perfect Storm) as the unfortunate ship’s captain, and is slated to air in the fall of 2006. This is not the first version of the series, and it may not be the last. The story comes from a 2001 German film and was supposed to become a series two years ago via a copro between Regina-based Minds Eye Entertainment and H5B5 Media of Germany. That deal fell through, however, and the rights holder moved on to SpaceWorks. The producers are also eyeing a videogame version and a second feature.
NFL inks deal with CHUM
CHUM is going to be broadcasting Monday Night Football. The longest-running primetime sports series on TV will kick off its 36th season on CHUM’s Citytv stations beginning Thursday, Sept. 8 at 9 p.m. when the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots host the Oakland Raiders. City will then air 16 consecutive Monday night games starting Sept. 12 at 9 p.m.
Felicity enrolls with W Network
The popular series Felicity returns to TV, this time on W, beginning Saturday, June 18 at 8 p.m. The net will air all four seasons of the critically acclaimed coming-of-age drama. W is targeting women 18-54 for the show, which is the channel’s target aud in general. It picked up the program hoping to build on the success it’s had with fellow feel-good women’s series The Gilmore Girls.
Felicity originally premiered in 1998.
http://www.corusentertainment.com
Event
May 26
The Next Marketing Frontier…Building Trust
The Ontario Club, Toronto
416.465.0070
ama-tor@allstream.net
The American Marketing Association – Toronto presents a breakfast discussion on whether building trust can build brand loyalty and equity. Panelists include Daryl Aitken, head of marketing, eBay Canada and Luke Pollard, VP enterprise development, The Loyalty Group.
PMB Factoid
Internet grocery purchasing, by age
Rogers to acquire Sprint Canada parent Call-Net
Toronto-based Rogers Communications is fast-tracking its telephony expansion with the purchase of Call-Net Enterprises, the parent company of Sprint Canada. In a deal announced this morning, Rogers is acquiring 100% of Call-Net, which includes Sprint’s home phone, local business service, IP data, long distance and wireless services to approximately 600,000 consumers and business customers in Canada.
Ted Rogers, president and CEO of Rogers, said the purchase would enhance the company’s ability to provide customers with all the services they want in one package, on one bill, from one provider.
Rogers stated: ‘This positions us immediately to offer primary line telephone service across our residential and business bases of wireless and cable customers. It also provides a substantial additional base of customers to cross-sell our portfolio of communications and entertainment products [to] and a skilled and knowledgeable employee group with strengths in telephones sales and marketing.’
What impact the deal will have on branding of the services or on the advertising assignments is unknown.
Rogers’ estimated $85 million advertising business is currently under review with incumbents Marketel of Montreal, and media AOR Toronto-based Media Buying Services taking part. A decision is expected sometime this summer.
The Sprint Canada creative and media assignments are handled by Sharpe Blackmore EURO RSCG of Toronto.
Ad opps with online chat
Remember those futuristic videophones from the Jetsons? Well, new instant messaging technology is making video chats available to the masses – and giving you the opportunity to run ads while the conversation windows are loading. ‘It’s targeting an engaged audience,’ says Subtej Nijjar, communication services marketing manager at MSN Canada in Toronto. MSN’s Messenger 7.0 launched last month, along with its ‘MSN Video Conversation’ application, which includes new IM ad opportunities like in-window text ads and sponsorship of ‘MSN Tabs,’ in-window icons that link to MSN Web pages for news, information and services. Canadian advertisers already on board with the new in-window opportunities include Levi Strauss Canada, as well as Unilever Canada’s Axe body spray.
Advertisers can run rich media ‘commercial-like experiences.’ Nijjar says the ads will likely run for 15 seconds and will range in price from $10 to $25 CPM depending on the size and the targeting. ‘We’re doing tons of user testing to determine time limits and sizes for the ads,’ he says.
New tech aids complex content for mobile
Toronto-based LogoVision Wireless has launched a new multi-media transmission technology that facilitates transmission of complex content such as colour motion video and high-quality audio to wireless devices. The new method bypasses cellular networks to use an IP-based transmission model to improve processing capability. Advanced algorithms, object-based transmission, and lightweight Java component technology are all being used to deliver and play rich video and audio content on a standard Java-enabled cellphone over low bandwidth wireless networks. This means mobile users can preview movies, and watch and listen to live broadcasts with high-quality audio.
LogoVision is currently negotiating with two radio stations to pilot its technology as a less expensive alternative to satellite radio in delivering unregulated content.
http://www.logovisionwireless.com
CHUM To Rebrand MTV Canada and MTV2
MTV Networks International has decided to exercise its right to terminate its agreement with Craig Media for channels MTV Canada, a youth culture channel, and MTV2, a music video channel. The nets will be rebranded effective June 30. The new names were unavailable at press time.
MTV Canada and MTV2 were among the channels CHUM acquired in its purchase of Craig Media in December. MTV Networks had the right to terminate its agreement upon a change of ownership. CHUM will be required to pay remaining licence fees of approximately $10 million. In addition, MTV Networks International will no longer have the option to acquire an equity interest in the channels.
Bell City Chase series brings reality TV to your city
Fans of The Amazing Race and Fear Factor unite! This year, the 2005 Bell City Chase series, presented by Volvo, is entering its second season bringing reality TV to your city. A one-day, real-life urban challenge that’s a combination obstacle course and scavenger hunt, the Bell City Chase series invites 300 teams of two in cities across Canada to push themselves to the limit via ChasePoint Challenges, sponsor-owned booths scattered throughout each city consisting of local trivia, puzzles, athletic activities or gastronomical endurance.
Bell is the title sponsor and technology partner of the event providing the means and the equipment –including the Blackberry, Push-to-talk phones and cellphones – to keep teams connected. As the grand prize, members of the national winning team will each drive away with a new V50 Volvo. This year, MOTRIN* IB will own the finish line, providing the requisite relief while new sponsors Sleeman and VIA Rail Canada have committed to multi-year deals. Other sponsors include Extra sugarfree gum, CanWest MediaWorks, McDonald’s and Delta Hotels.
In the fall, a five-part series of the event will air on Global and Prime highlighting the spirit of the competition. The series will feature regional events and profile each city’s finalists as they vie for the national championship. The 2005 Bell City Chase series hits Vancouver on May 14, Edmonton on May 28, Calgary on June 11, Toronto on June 25, Ottawa on July 16, Montreal on July 23 and Halifax on Aug. 6. The competition kick-off was in Victoria on May 7. The event is expected to attract more than 3,500 participants across the country.
