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Sarah Prince

Q&A With Dustin Brown, Co-Creator Of The Brief

Dustin Brown

Toronto-based advertising and communications agency Elemental recently launched a four-part web series called The Brief. Dustin Brown is a partner at the agency who co-created the series.

Why did you decide to make a web series about agency life?

We have always tried to do promotional pieces about the agency to either attract new clients or new employees, bring on new talent and [create] stuff to show our clients what we’re capable of doing. We have run some campaigns in the past and then when one of our new copywriters came on board, he was a director and had the background. I had toyed around with making a full-length series once upon a time and he had some ideas about how to do a web series, which I had never really explored. We brought these two things together and created these shorts and we just had fun with it. From there, it grew into this four-part series, which is great.

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Hotspot: Miraj Hammam Spa (Shangri-La)

Caudalie spa reception-exterior-D-1200px-sRGB

My invitation for a facial at the Miraj Hammam Spa inside Toronto’s Shangri-La hotel could not have come at a better time, as I had a chance to exfoliate my skin a few days before a portrait session.

Time flies when you’re in a luxurious and relaxing environment being pampered by a professional esthetician. The reception area was quiet when I arrived on a weeknight and inside the atmosphere was even more tranquil. The overall interior design is kind of dark, so it might make you sleepy if you go in the morning or afternoon.

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How To React To The New Chevrolet Malibu

Photo Source: Adweek

Photo Source: Adweek

When Facebook launched their new Reactions feature, I was curious to see how my friends and peers in the advertising industry would respond. It’s been around for about a week now and I have yet to use anything but the Like button; however, I think that’s simply a response to the type of content that has appeared in my news feed. If something was truly shocking or devastating, I wouldn’t hesitate to say “Wow!” with a click.

One of my favourite new ads capitalizes on Facebook’s Reactions to demonstrate how much their customers will love their latest product. To produce their one-minute spot “From Like to Love,” Chevrolet and their agency Commonwealth/McCann collected video clips from user-generated content. The videos capture typical moments that are shared on social media like kids’ first day of school and an engagement.

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Play Review: Vegas The Show

Photo Source:  V Theater Box Office
Photo Source: V Theater Box Office

It’s hard to turn down free tickets, so when one of my former hotel packages included a voucher for a dinner and show at Planet Hollywood, how could I say no? In the end, I chose to eat at the Italian restaurant Lombardi’s and see Vegas! The Show.

The premise of Vegas! The Show is appealing because it’s a variety show that tells audiences about the history of Las Vegas. The show is bookended with narration by a janitor who makes funny quips about the characters you’ll find walking on Las Vegas Blvd, such as pushy promoters. The best parts of the show highlight the glitz and glamour present along the Strip throughout the decades, which includes classy restaurants and showgirls.

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Book Review: The Choice

TheChoiceBanner

Photo Source: ComingSoon.net

Motivated by the success of his hit novel The Notebook, Nicholas Sparks aimed to recreate similar characters and obstacles in The Choice. I don’t think The Choice deserves to be a classic like The Notebook, but it’s definitely worth reading.

The Choice is about two neighbours, Travis and Gabby, who fall in love. In their first face-to-face encounter, Gabby storms over to Travis’ deck and falsely accuses his dog of impregnating her dog. I’m not an animal lover, but I didn’t mind reading about their pets. Sparks sprinkles in their dogs Moby and Molly just enough and doesn’t go into great detail when describing the animals at Travis’ veterinary clinic.

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