Tag Archives: Entertainment

Ads Around the City: Contagion – Bacteria Billboard

4 Oct

Building on its reputation for always being ahead of the curve, Warner Bros. Pictures Canada created a unique outdoor installation merging science and advertising that is guaranteed to leave movie lovers, science buffs and art enthusiasts in ‘awe’ or ‘eww’.

In support of Academy Award ® winner Steven Soderbergh’s latest film “Contagion” — in theatres September 9th, Warner Bros. Pictures Canada teamed up with microbiologists and immunologists from around the world to create a one-of-a-kind bacteria message board located at 409 Queen Street West in an abandoned store-front window. On August 28th, two large Petri dishes were inoculated with live bacteria including penicillin, mold and pigmented bacteria and almost overnight have revealed the true Contagion — an artistic interpretation of the spread of a virus as depicted in the film.

The public was invited to witness first-hand the remarkable growing power of natural bacteria on Wednesday August 31st from 11:00 AM — 2:00 PM. The first 50 people who arrived received passes to see “Contagion” in theatres and other themed prizes.

Advertising Agency: Lowe Roche, Toronto, Canada

Scott Pilgrim’s Toronto

4 Aug

From Marketing Magazine: Toronto promotes starring role in Scott Pilgrim movie by Jeff Beer

As anticipation for the opening of Scott Pilgrim vs The World reaches a fever pitch with just over a week to go, the Canadian Tourism Commission, Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation (OTMPC) and Tourism Toronto have joined forces to use the film to promote the city.

“We’re excited about working with Universal Pictures and Michael Cera on this project,” said Michele McKenzie, president and CEO of the CTC, in a release. “This partnership is another great opportunity to build on the international profile Canada acquired during the [Vancouver Winter] Games.”

The popular comic book-turned-film is set and was shot in Toronto, which has many touting it as the city’s coming out party as prime storytelling real estate after so many years of playing the stunt double for cities like New York and Chicago.

The tourism partners today launched TorontoLovesScottPilgrim.com, in association with Universal Pictures, featuring a video podcast by the film’s star and Toronto local Michael Cera, along with fellow cast members sharing their favourite Toronto travel tips.

If the film’s any indicator, look for places like Honest Ed’s and Lee’s Palace to pop up. The site also includes photos from an interactive social media photo booth, and a contest that offers fans a chance to win a Scott Pilgrim-themed travel package.

Pandora Station

13 Apr

From Marketing Magazine: Avatar’s Big Blue Aliens Invade Union Station by Jeremy Lloyd

The thousands of commuters leaving Toronto from busy Union Station last night may have felt as though they travelled further than they planned. Much of the bus and train station’s busiest concourse is covered in images of Pandora, the alien world of James Cameron’s 3D blockbuster Avatar.

The four-week station domination, which went up Monday to announce the film’s April 22 release on DVD and Blu Ray, is the largest domination package ever sold by IMA Outdoor, which owns the media at Union Station.

According to Stephanie Jacobs, marketing manager for Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, the package includes never-before-sold portions of the environment thanks to extended negotiations with Go Transit, which sells tickets from the concourse floor.

Aside from large floor and ceiling coverings, pillar wraps, video screens and other more traditional elements of such executions, Twentieth Century Fox created a large-scale model of the film’s Home Tree environment.

IMA also set aside part of the lower concourse as a “Pandora zone,” where eight-foot-tall cut outs of movie characters stand against a back-lit mural.

“If you look up you will see us, if you look down you will see us,” said Jacobs.

Union Station was chosen for its high foot traffic. “It’s located in the heart of downtown, and in proximity to the Air Canada Centre. It allowed us to do something really visible,” Jacobs said. “We needed a high-impact execution that lives up to what the movie did theatrically.”

Zenith Optimedia handled the buy. Creative elements were made jointly by Fox’s in-house team and Markham, Ont.’s Timbol Design Communications, which worked on the 2005 DVD launch campaign of the last Star Wars trilogy.

Maple Pictures Kicks Ass on Queen St. W

8 Apr

The Out of Home display in the empty storefront at Queen and McCaul in Toronto (handled by Toronto’s Juxtaproductions), set up to look like Dave Lizewski’s (aka Kick-Ass) bedroom from the movie (complete with authentic props).

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Maple has also secured the storefront next to it to be set up as the film’s comic book store, Atomic. In addition, the actors playing Kick-Ass and Hit-Girl will be on-location and in-costume at Queen and McCaul on April 15, the day before the film premieres.

Related posts:
Vampires Invade Queen St. W
Sherlock Holmes in Toronto

The Queens

10 Feb

From Marketing Magazine: Disney creates Red Queen and White Queen stops on TTC
By Kristin Laird

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada has set the stage for a royal battle between the “Red” and “White” Queens with a subway station domination that promotes the March 5 release of Alice in Wonderland, a 3D fantasy adventure directed by Tim Burton.

Toronto’s Queen Street subway station has been taken over by platform poster displays and large-scale custom decals featuring the Queens (the Red Queen played by Helena Bonham Carter and the White Queen played by Anne Hathaway) in scenes from the Mad Hatter’s tea party.

The effort is meant to give “a feeling of the magic of Wonderland and play up the rivalry of the two Queens,” said Lauren Richards, CEO of SMG Canada, which includes Starcom, the agency that handled the placement.

The words “Red” and “White” appear above the “Queen” station signs on the platform walls, marking the first time the Toronto Transit Commission has allowed the station name to be incorporated into advertising.

“The impact of the advertising being integrated into the station name is really amazing,” said Richards. “That’s where the magic is, we’re embedding into content in the subway.”

According to Starcom, an estimated 57,000 TTC riders pass through the Queen Street station each day.

Large decals featuring Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter also appear in the stairwell and in the tunnel between the two platforms. Disney’s L.A. office tailored the creative for the Queen Street station, said Richards.

← Older Entries

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.