Media Alert/Photo Opportunity - Mayor David Miller to kick off Canada's first Advertising Week

    
    Events celebrate ad industry's creativity and its $24 billion
    contribution to the Canadian economy
    

    TORONTO, Jan. 21 /CNW/ - In celebration of Canadian advertising, Toronto
Mayor David Miller will join Gillian Graham, CEO, Institute of Communication
Agencies (ICA) and a distinguished crowd of marketers from across the country
and abroad at the opening ceremonies for Canada's inaugural Advertising Week.
    The Mayor will acknowledge and help celebrate the creativity,
contributions and economic impact of Canada's advertising industry.  A variety
of dynamic public and industry events including keynote and panel
presentations, thought-leadership conferences, student mentoring initiatives
and agency open houses will be held in Toronto the week of January 26th to
30th.
    With special appearances from key international figures such as marketing
mogul Sir Richard Branson, brain scientist and best-selling author Dr. Jill
Bolte Taylor, and advertising guru Chuck Porter, Canada's Advertising Week
will inspire Torontonians as well as Canadians from coast to coast.

    
    Who:           Mayor of Toronto David Miller
                   Gillian Graham, CEO, Institute of Communication
                   Agencies (ICA)

    When:          Monday, January 26th, 2009
                   8 a.m. - 10 a.m.

    What:          Advertising Week Kick Off Event

    Where:         Art Gallery of Ontario, 317 Dundas Street West

    Participants:  A "who's who" of Canada's advertising industry with:
                   Frank Palmer, Chairman & CEO, DDB Canada;
                   Sunni Boot, President & CEO, ZenithOptimedia;
                   Paul Lavoie, Chairman, Taxi
    

    About Advertising Week

    Canada's inaugural Advertising Week (www.advertisingweek.ca) is taking
place from January 26 to 30, 2009. The week is designed to celebrate the
advertising industry's social and economic impact to the Canadian landscape,
create a dedicated public platform to showcase the industry's creativity in
business communication, and to inspire and develop the next generation of
talent for this industry. The Institute of Communication Agencies (ICA)
(www.icacanada.ca), the professional business association representing
Canada's communication and advertising agencies, is spearheading Advertising
Week.

    About the ICA

    The Institute of Communication Agencies or the ICA (www.icacanada.ca) is
the professional business association which represents Canada's communication
and advertising agencies. ICA promotes thought leadership, higher standards
and best practices. It serves as the largest source of information, advice,
education and training for Canada's communication and advertising industry.
ICA's member agencies and subsidiaries account for over 75 per cent of all
national advertising in Canada, with an economic impact worth more than $18
billion annually.

    Complete schedule of upcoming events at Advertising Week (registration
and tickets for select events are available at: www.advertisingweek.ca):

    
    Monday, January 26
    ------------------
    8 a.m. - 10 a.m.       Advertising Week Kick Off Breakfast, (BY
                           INVITATION ONLY) Art Gallery of Ontario featuring:
                           Mayor David Miller
                           A panel discussion with: Frank Palmer, Chairman &
                           CEO, DDB Canada; Sunni Boot, President & CEO,
                           ZenithOptimedia; Paul Lavoie, Chairman, Taxi

    7:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.  Leading Social Change - Public Sector Marketing,
                           (SOLD OUT) MaRS Discovery District featuring:
                           Dr. David Suzuki
                           Representatives from the Obama campaign

    12 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.    Ad Women of Toronto Launch Luncheon, (SOLD OUT)
                           Art Gallery of Ontario featuring:
                           Stacey Mowbray, President of Second Cup
                           Joi Gordon, Founder of Dress for Success, a
                           non-profit organization promoting economic
                           independence for disadvantaged women

    6 p.m. - 8 p.m.        Advertising Week Opening Cocktail Party, (BY
                           INVITATION ONLY) Jamie Kennedy at the Gardiner

    Tuesday, January 27
    -------------------
    8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.     "Advertising in the Age of Creativity" Conference,
                           (TICKETS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC FOR PURCHASE)
                           Atlantis Pavilion, Ontario Place featuring:

                           9 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. Jill Bolte Taylor, Scientist,
                           "Why a better understanding of the brain can help
                           release true creativity"

                           10:15 a.m. - 11 a.m. Clive Wilkinson, Architect,
                           "How creating the proper environment encourages
                           better collaboration and creativity"

                           11:15 a.m. - 12 p.m. Chuck Porter, Crispin Porter
                           Bogusky, "A perspective on the evolving roles an
                           agency has to play to be a key source of added
                           value"

                           12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Lunch with Vancouver Olympic
                           Presentation by Keith Pelley, CTV Olympic
                           Consortium

                           1:30 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. Duane Varan, Disney Media
                           Lab/Murdock University, "Despite the pundits, TV
                           advertising is far from dead: the future of
                           television in our new media world"; Bill Tancer,
                           Author of Click, General Manager of Hitwise

                           3:30 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. Contagious Magazine (UK),
                           "Creativity from around the world"

    6 p.m. - 10 p.m.       Marketing Hall of Legends, (TICKETS AVAILABLE TO
                           THE PUBLIC FOR PURCHASE) Four Seasons Hotel

    Wednesday, January 28
    ---------------------
    8 a.m. - 3 p.m.        University and College Student Mentored Agency
                           Visits, (SOLD OUT)
                           "A Day in the Life of an Agency," Various
                           advertising agency offices

    8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.    The Power of Advertising, Royal York Hotel,
                           (TICKETS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC FOR PURCHASE)

    12 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.    Financial and Communications Industry Luncheon,
                           (SOME TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC FOR
                           PURCHASE) Toronto Filmport featuring:
                           Sir Richard Branson

    2:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.     Cannes Screening and Creative Discussion, Bloor
                           Cinema (OPEN TO PUBLIC)

    7 p.m. - 12 a.m.       Fashion Show and Concert, Steam Whistle Brewery
                           (TICKETS AVAILABLE TO THE INDUSTRY FOR PURCHASE)

    Thursday, January 29
    --------------------
    8 a.m. - 10 a.m.       ICA Member Appreciation Breakfast, (BY INVITATION
                           ONLY) The Suites, One King West featuring:
                           Miles Nadal

    8 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.     Business of Ideas forum, (TICKETS AVAILABLE TO THE
                           PUBLIC FOR PURCHASE), Diesel Playhouse

    9 a.m. - 2:15 p.m.     PPM Symposium, (TICKETS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC
                           FOR PURCHASE), The Capitol Event Theatre

    10 a.m. - 4 p.m.       Independent Agency Forum, (BY INVITATION ONLY) The
                           Suites, One King West

    2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.  IAB Canada's Annual Canadian Media Usage Trends
                           Report, (TICKETS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC FOR
                           PURCHASE), Hilton Hotel

    3 p.m. - 5 p.m.        Client-Agency Relationships Presentation, One King
                           West featuring:
                           Dr. Alan Middleton (TICKETS AVAILABLE TO THE
                           PUBLIC FOR PURCHASE)

    5:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.    CASSIES Awards, (TICKETS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC
                           FOR PURCHASE), Arcadian Court

    Friday, January 30
    ------------------
    11 a.m. - 2 p.m.       Ad Club Newspaper Day 2009, Hilton Hotel, (TICKETS
                           AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC FOR PURCHASE)
    

For further information:

For further information: Media requiring further information,
accreditation, please contact: Keka DasGupta or Martine Lévy, DDB Canada,
(416) 972-7727, (416) 972-7719, keka.dasgupta@can.ddbpr.com,
martine.levy@can.ddbpr.com