CanWest MediaWorks is flexing its multi-platform muscle and aligning with strategic partners to hawk its newest baby. In time for the June 1 launch of specialty Tvtropolis, the net slated to take over where Prime once was -- the company is using its TV, print and online properties to give folks a taste of what's to come. Read More

The fact that local consignment shop Fashion Go-Round had no budget for their awareness campaign didn't faze the creative guys at Toronto's Arnold Worldwide. "The campaign probably cost around $100," explains Chris Hall, associate CD on the project. "It's literally a rubber stamp and some stickers." The strategy, he explains, fell out of the store's belief that "everything gets a second chance." In March, the creative team and some of the Fashion Go-Round folks went out to local doctors' offices with fashion magazines to donate. Flip through the pages of the magazine and you'll find branded stickers hawking the local consignment store on fashion print ads. The stickers bear the message: "Available soon at the Fashion Go-Round Consignment clothing store, where everything gets a second chance." Shopping bags and business cards bearing the logos of the Gap, Banana Republic and Talbots (among others) got the same treatment. Used shopping bags used to carry away purchases from the store bear Fashion Go-Round's stickers and the rubber stamps obliterate original business cards culled from employees' past shopping trips.

Hall says: "[The challenge was] how do we do this in a respectable way? We wanted to give a small, local retailer a presence with some big brand thinking." Read More

Pure magazine launched yesterday, hitting newsstands across Quebec. The mag, a sister publication to Shoppers Drug Mart vehicle, Toronto's Glow, will be published by Rogers six times a year and distributed to 65,000 Optimum card bearers and on newsstands. The Quebec-only Pure bears an introductory cover price of $1.99 and advertisers already onboard include L'Oreal, Revlon and Maybelline, among others. Pure's content includes international beauty and fashion trends to health, lifestyle and cuisine ideas aimed at women in Québec. A one-page ad costs $7530.

Viacom Outdoor Canada has changed to CBS Outdoor Canada. The company is a division of CBS Corporation. The change in company name will not affect its day-to-day operations.

And in a bid to align itself with its parent company, digital marketing shop 24/7 Canada has adopted its parent company's name, 24/7 Real Media. Canadian operations will remain unchanged. Seven-year veteran Peter Rehdner has been named GM at the Toronto-based company.

For a list of the top 30 TV shows for the week of May 8-14, 2006, according to BBM, please click the links below:

National

Ontario

Quebec

Toronto

Vancouver

Entertainment and retail both boast silver in the categories with the largest variety of TV ads on the English market for May 5-11. Both categories have nabbed 16% of the pie with the largest taker going to the 'other' catch-all category. And in the race for the brand with the largest variety of TV ads, in a year-over-year comparison, it's no surprise that the names at the top are P&G and GM, respectively. 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 Read More

Sears moved up from number nine to first place last week in the race between brands with the most spots on rotation across Toronto airwaves. New entrants to the top 10 last week include Canadian Tire (at number three), Hotels.ca, Staples, and Old Navy - all of which took the number six, seven and eight spots, respectively. Check out others topping the radio charts by category and brand in the Toronto market for the week of May 8-14, 2006.

http://www.mediamonitors.com

Rank by brand

Rank by category

Two new series are on the slate to debut on Monday, July 3. Home to Go follows host Peter Fallico as he undertakes portable and affordable home improvements. The program runs in a 30-minute format and airs weeknights at 7 p.m. Immediately following Home to Go is Kitchen Equipped, a 36-part series that creates designer kitchens. The series airs weekdays at 7:30 p.m.

Monarchs and presidents play host in a five-part series entitled The Royal Tour. The week-long series debuts on Monday, June 12 and airs daily to Friday, June 16 at 9 p.m. on CTV Travel. The show tours New Zealand, Peru, Jordan, Jamaica and Uganda.

Jonathan Lister, former VP, Audience for AOL Canada has stepped into Craig Wallace's shoes. Wallace was GM at Toronto-based AOL and has left the company after three years. The change is effective immediately.

May 24

Mobile Communication Devices and the Media Revolution

Verity Club, Toronto

647-393-9649

http://toronto.marketingpower.com

The market for wireless data services in Canada is growing by leaps and bounds. This conference hosted by the American Marketing Association's Toronto branch, looks at how you can tap in. Panelists include Globeandmail.com's editor Angus Frame, The Weather Network's VP/GM interactive services Taylor Emerson, IDC Canada's VP communications practice Tony Olvet and Nokia Canada's client direct Jason Offet. Moderator is Nancy Helstab, MD of BrandEdge.