Tag Archives: Online

14 Dec

The 30-foot Christmas tree in Toronto’s Union Station is wrapped in 3,100 LED lights which flashes in green, red, white and blue. These aren’t just your regular Christmas tree lights though, these lights represent Christmas chatter online.

When the holiday is being talked about in the news, the tree’s green lights flash. White represents when Christmas is a topic of conversation on social networks like Facebook and Twitter. When the red lights are on, it means blogs and forums are are flooded with holiday posts, and the blue lights represent Christmas talk on the tree’s very own homepage Christmas Spirit Tree.

Advertising agency, Tribal DDB, are the people behind the Christmas Spirit Tree and created the idea for Canadian Tire. And it sure did work, because the popular store was trending on Twitter earlier in the week.

The tree picks up on words like Santa, merry, holiday, gift, time, and year. When these words are posted online, they help to power the Union Station light show. Sitting on top of a unique server, the tree has the help of another advertising agency, Sysomos, to filter through comments, posts and messages. The coloured lights get brighter, depending on the number of messages being posted in Canada. Underneath the tree is an interactive map which shows where in the country the online messages are originating.

“We wanted to be different. We thought, how could we do it with a social feed?” said Rosie Riolina-Serpa, assistant vice-president of digital & gift card for Canadian Tire. “I think the tree just gives everyone a good feeling.”

The Christmas Spirit Tree will be on display at Union Station in Toronto from now until December 26th from 6am to midnight. If you are unable to visit the tree in person, you can check out a live stream on the tree’s website, or on screen at Dundas Square in Toronto.

-Kiwi Commons

Does anyone in Toronto use QR codes?

17 Dec

From Blog TO by Erin Bury

Link to article HERE

City of Toronto tries amateur vibe for new campaign

30 Aug

From Marketing: City of Toronto tries amateur vibe for new campaign by Jeff Beer

Whether it’s a late-night infomercial for the Magic Bullet or another rapid-fire pitch for your unwanted jewelry from Toronto’s Russell “Cashman” Oliver, low-budget amateur ads are almost always good for a little unintentional comedy.

Publicis Canada has tapped into that same so-bad-I-can’t-look-away quality with its new work for the City of Toronto. The agency incorporated a decidedly infomercial vibe to promote the city’s Solid Waste Management Services Division campaign to raise awareness of its service of free pick-up and recycling of electronics.

The online ad, which will live on the city’s website and YouTube channel, features two very enthusiastic garbage men named Chuck and Vince who mug for the camera while finding new and awkward ways exclaiming, “We want your unwanted electronics!” and “We want it!”

Pat Pirisi, creative director at Publicis Toronto, said the goal of the spot was to get away from the expected, dry fare so often associated with municipal advertising campaigns.

“We just wanted to do something that was a bit funnier and edgier than people might expect,” said Pirisi. “We wanted to have some fun with it, to reflect the city’s sense of humour.”

In a statement, City of Toronto spokesperson Pat Barrett said, “We felt these spots would delight our audience and inspire them to act.”

While Pirisi loves the charms of amateur advertising, he was quick to point out one major difference between the real infomercials and Chuck and Vince. “What makes those types of spots funny is that the stars are amateurs and the laughs are largely unintentional,” said Pirisi. “We wanted to recreate that, but of course we’re trying to be funny on purpose.”

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.

Toronto Looks Good on You

26 Jul

From Marketing: Tourism Toronto posting video love letters to the city by Kristin Laid

Tourism Toronto is giving visitors a different kind of souvenir to mark their visit to Hogtown this summer as part of an effort to reach urban travelers under the Toronto Looks Good on You (TLGOY) campaign slogan.

The marketing organization is setting up video recording stations at a number of Toronto festivals and attractions such as Caribana, Nuit Blanche, the Ontario Science Centre and the Toronto Zoo. It is inviting residents and visitors to record messages explaining why they love the city.

Once the video has been recorded, a branded intro and extro is added to the compressed file, which can then be uploaded to the user’s Facebook, YouTube or Twitter accounts, or sent to them by e-mail.

In one video, a Florida resident named Derek gives the city’s food and Luminato Festival a glowing review: “I would definitely put this weekend on my calendar every year,” he says.

In a release, Joel Peters, senior vice-president and chief marketing officer for Tourism Toronto, said the testimonials are invaluable for marketing the city.

“These are genuine, enthusiastic endorsements that reach consumers who are increasingly relying on word of mouth and online networks when making travel decisions,” he said.

The unbranded and unshared videos are uploaded to TorontoLooksGoodOnYou.com. Some of the videos will be used as part of an online campaign that targets young travelers in key U.S. markets, and in future campaigns.

USDM.net developed the video technology, Gabzebo is providing the video booths, programming and online technology, while Smak manages the experiential side of the campaign.

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