Browsing Tag

Toronto

Girls On Film

Below are a few of my favourite picks screened at the TIFF Bell Lightbox tonight for the Packaged Goods series, where aspiring filmmakers, tastemakers and moviegoers celebrated women’s talent in film.

HTC “One, Freefall”

Director: Sara Dunlop

Take your phone, get outdoors and go on an adventure. Bottom line: have fun.

Dove “Growing Up”

Director: Kathi Prosser

As a loyal advocate for Dove’s Self Esteem Fund, it’s great to see a female director furthering the brand’s vision to help girls with body image and bring an important issue to light. Girls are indeed “growing up” in a turbulent time with too much pressure on appearances and this spot thankfully continues the conversation.

“Skyscrapers” – OK Go

Director: Trish Sie

This music video could easily double as an ad for Joe Fresh or Benjamin Moore. Great colours. Great music. Great choreography.

June 13, 2012 by

Dave Matthews Band Shines In the Rain

Hillside fans’ experiences with umbrellas aside, Dave Matthews Band’s sold-out show at Molson Amphitheatre on Saturday night was outstanding. In addition to the VIP experience I enjoyed thanks to American Express (seriously, follow them on Facebook), the band ensured no one left disappointed.

Rock bands as talented as Dave Matthews Band don’t need flashy costumes or fancy choreographed dances to convince the crowd of their greatness. Their undeniable raw talent led me to focus on their music and appreciate how well the onscreen season-appropriate imagery of roller coasters, flowers and birds fit the outdoor atmosphere.

Blind Pilot’s intimate encore performance above a patio inspired me to delve into their tracks online and reinforced how fortunate I am to live in Toronto, where such treats abound all summer long. Though I was disappointed that “Funny the Way It Is” was missing from Dave Matthews Band’s setlist, I had such a good time that I felt if I got a mosquito bite, it would be worth it.

Eager to attend an upcoming show this summer? Dave Matthews Band tour dates are listed here.

June 3, 2012 by

Smile and Share

Noticed a lot of blue and white lately? It’s probably because The Hospital for Sick Children’s SickKids Foundation launched their ‘Doing the Happy’ campaign – a great way to jumpstart the joyful season that is summer.

The excitement surrounding the campaign validates Globe writer Simon Houpt’s observations about what made the KONY 2012 video go viral. “Everyone loves kids,” he wrote.

Influencer engagement has been all the rage for a few years now, but tapping recognizable Canadian media personalities provides a nationalistic undertone, which helps enlist support. Though I couldn’t help but notice a slant toward featuring broadcast journalists from Bell Media, it was refreshing to see actors such as Ashley Leggat, whom I hadn’t seen since Toronto’s production of Dirty Dancing.

Houpt also urged marketers not to underestimate people’s attention spans. I predict that the campaign’s combination of a fun premise, worthy cause and clean visuals will lead to many more views for their 4+ minute long video.

Doing the Happy isn’t the only neat thing SickKids is doing in the digital space. Cundari recently developed a fantastic iPhone app that engages young patients. Through gamification, the app encourages kids to fill out pain diaries and report which medications are working best.

[2025 Update: Removed campaign YouTube video and website links which are no longer available.]

May 12, 2012 by

Bryan Adams Made A Night to Remember

On Thursday May 3, Canadian icon Bryan Adams performed for 2 1/2 hours, likely making it one of the longest performances I’ve ever attended – not that I nor any of his other twenty thousand or so fans minded. His stop at the Air Canada Centre last night was ultimately a fantastic way to kick-off my summer break.

Bryan Adams is one of those musicians whose work makes a great addition to a driving playlist, so as I watched and listened in awe, I thought back to trips to such places as London, Montreal, Sudbury and Buffalo. Download and then play “Open Road” on your next road trip and you’ll understand.

Since attending his acoustic performance at Massey Hall in August 2009, the middle aged demographic in the audience didn’t surprise me, but the Twitter stream projected onto a screen leading up to his set sure did. I don’t know whether it was the copious amounts of beer I spotted many ticketholders consuming, or if it’s just his fans’ regular diction, but the live Twitter stream illuminated how publicly featuring live tweets can be problematic because some fans’ tweets shown onscreen included profanity. In any case, given the size of touring musicians’ entourages, it couldn’t hurt to have a moderator if tour producers wish to incorporate social media like that.

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May 4, 2012 by

The Lucky One

What’s a Toronto visit without an Indigo event? This time, I went to Indigo Yorkdale (thankfully much closer than alternative locations) to see author Nicholas Sparks promote The Lucky One. The film adaptation of The Lucky One will be in theatres April 20, starring heartthrob Zac Efron.

Arriving early to wait in line ensures you’re close to the pre-event excitement and hype, which included a dance off between three fans to Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” right outside Starbucks. Once the line moved closer to the stage, a group of young girls enthusiastically took to the stage to jump up and down singing One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful,” which possibly delighted them more than meeting Sparks himself.

I also snagged a periwinkle blue tee with the film’s name and release date printed on a sleeve, which I’m wearing now as I write this. A girl behind me who also received a t-shirt commented she could see herself wearing it under a blazer, discreetly celebrating her pop culture interests at work! Another giveaway was branded lip gloss, which I think was very fitting for a romance novelist’s signing.

Sparks briefly said a few words to fans thanking everyone for coming before signing 500+ copies of The Lucky One, including none other than former Maple Leafs player Curtis Joseph! He was as charming in person as expected.

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April 6, 2012 by