Advertising for The Toronto Star’s new weekend publication, The Best of the Toronto Star, was not done by the newspaper’s agency of record, Roche Macaulay & Partners, but by Barry Base & Partners Advertising.

Jeffrey Shearer, vice-president of marketing for the Star, says that the decision to bypass Roche Macaulay was not a metaphorical slap in the face. He says it was merely a matter of a personal preference to work with someone he knew.

During his six-year stint at Saturday Night magazine and, before that, at Telemedia, Shearer regularly worked with Base.

Shearer says that there is no formal review underway.

However, he does say that the relationship between Roche and the Star is informal at this time and a rational, long-term decision can only be made after the paper hires a communications director.

That announcement is expected in the next few weeks.