Editorial
Building brand stories
Strategy executive editor Mary Maddever on what gets us to love a brand.
Upfront
Mitsubishi’s youthful rebrand
The automotive brand is rolling out a Canadian-specific, less sporty identity.
Ninja Turtles invade Walmart
The retailer launches its latest augmented reality campaign to promote a new TV show.
Brandaid partners with Selfridges
The U.K. department store will carry a new collection of handmade products from Haiti in partnership with the charity.
Who’s that brand?
Brands like Freedom 55, Subway and Ontario Tourism are going logo-less this fall.
Forum
Simple. Powerful. Outdoor
Molson Coors’ Peter Nowlan discusses the strategic value of outdoor media.
The top six(ish) brand-squeeze fronts
John Bradley on the key forces reshaping retail.
Features
BioSteel plots next move
The pink energy drink maker wants to move from word-of-mouth phenomenon to mainstream success.
Audi goes off to the (little) races
To get the attention of businessmen, passersby were invited to grab an iPad and play with motorized cars on a mini track.
Cadbury pits Screme against Creme
The Hive launches a campaign for the new Halloween confection.
The big pour-off
We asked Molson and Labatt to pick their best-of-the-year marketing efforts, and highlighted a few of our own, then asked industry experts to weigh in on this tasty battle.
Old school innovation
Not all attention-grabbing, clutter-busting ‘firsts’ involve tech.
Brands of the Year
2012 Brands of the Year
From a pubcaster to an athletic wear manufacturer, here are brands that are staying ahead of the curve.
Brands of the Year: CBC lives everywhere
The pubcaster pushes ahead with bold digital reforms that challenge the notion of your grandmother’s CBC.
Brands of the Year: Rediscovering the Loblaw story
Bold marketing initiatives aim to keep the chain at the top of the Canadian grocery ladder.
Brands of the Year: Lululemon takes local to the next level
How does a purveyor of yoga pants become one of the most successful brands to come out of this country? With a grassroots marketing approach that starts from the bottom up.
Brands of the Year: It’s all good at McCain
Canada’s largest food manufacturer and world leader in French fries, McCain Foods is set to complete its full product revamp in the spring of 2013, doing away with chemical-ladened ingredients.
Brands of the Year: Toronto Fashion Week puts Canada on the global catwalk
Recently acquired by U.S.-based IMG, the event has grown into North America’s second-largest runway show and garnered millions of media impressions from around the globe.
Best bandwagon brand: The Winnipeg Jets
The hockey team was the brand that other brands wanted to jump on board with, from Budweiser to Toyota and Frito-Lay.
Instant brand of the year: the Red Square
Quebec’s symbol of student protest became a rallying point this year.
Best brand extensions of the year
Ikea’s hotel and city, Molson’s Six Pints’ Beer Academy and the ubiquitous Ryan Gosling were all notable this year.
Best pre-brand of the year: Target
The soon-to-launch retailer caused major buzz this year without a mass campaign in sight.
Best brand finale: Zellers
The retailer ends on a high note.
