CLIENTS:

The Bay has finally hired a new senior VP of marketing, following a search that began last spring. Neil Fedun, previously group VP, creative director with New York-based Federated Department Stores (owner of Macy’s) assumes the retailer’s senior marketing post May 1. His retail experience also includes stints with Woodward’s, Simpson’s, Zellers and the Hong Kong department store chain Lane Crawford.

Corby Distilleries has named Mike Minchin its new VP, marketing. Minchin, who replaces Joanne Bjarnason, has been with Corby’s parent company Allied-Domecq for about four years, most recently as global marketing director on whiskies. His priority, he says, will be focusing the distiller’s marketing efforts on its core brands.

Kia Canada has appointed John Wright its new VP, sales and marketing. Wright, who will also hold the title of COO with the Mississauga, Ont.-based automaker, has extensive sales and marketing experience, having held positions with Toyota, Fiat, BMW and Hyundai.

ECMarket, a Vancouver-based Internet business-to-business auction company, has named Janet Wood its new VP of sales and marketing. Wood comes to the position with 16 years of sales and management experience with IBM Canada.

Eli Lilly Canada has a new VP of marketing. Robert Schmid has been with the pharmaceutical company since 1985, working in both its U.S. and global operations. Before taking this new post, he was director of commercial affairs for CNS products at Lilly’s head office in the U.S.

AGENCIES:

Garry Lee is the latest senior executive to jump the Padulo Integrated ship. The former VP, group account director is now president of Toronto’s Cundari Integrated Advertising. He joins fellow Padulo alumnus Peter Day, who left the agency a few months ago to become Cundari’s executive VP, creative director.

Jim Herrler has been promoted to senior VP, managing director of Palmer Jarvis DDB’s Toronto office. Herrler, who joined the agency two years ago as VP and general manager, will be charged with building the business and developing new divisions designed to further PJDDB’s evolution into an integrated agency – among them, DDB Digital and DDB Response.

Mary Mills has joined Toronto-based Young & Rubicam as senior VP, strategic planning director. She comes from J. Walter Thompson, where she was VP, strategic planning director. Also new to Y&R is

Angela Mandrish, who assumes the post of VP, director interactive. Mandrish worked previously with New York-based interactive firm Studio Archetype (Sapient).

Diane Davy is the new president of Toronto-based NextMedia. Previously the publisher of Greey de Pencier (Owl) Books, Davy was hired for her experience in communications, children’s TV and new media.

MEDIA:

CHUM Television has promoted Stephen Tapp to VP, general manager of Citytv and CablePulse24. Tapp will also continue in his role as VP, general manager of ChumCity International, which oversees distribution of the broadcaster’s programming around the world. Maria Hale, meanwhile, has been appointed managing director of ChumCity Interactive. The former launch director for Excite Canada, she’ll be responsible for overseeing development of CHUM’s eight Web sites.

National Post Online has brought Marcie Sayiner on board as senior marketing and sales strategist. Sayiner, previously a consultant and media relations manager with the J.C. Williams Group, will oversee research and marketing efforts aimed at helping the daily’s Internet edition build its brand name.

Plesman Communications founder Paul Plesman has stepped down after more than 25 years at the helm of the high-tech trade publishing house. His decision comes in the wake of the company’s acquisition by Transcontinental Publishing last November. Established in 1974, Plesman Communications publishes such titles as Computing Canada and Computer Dealer News.

Shift magazine has appointed a new managing editor. Lisa Cindolo is former managing editor of Details magazine. Meanwhile, Shift is moving its online marketing manager to the Big Apple. Kevin Siu will head up non-traditional media marketing efforts for Shift’s various incarnations.

By Karen Howe

I’m attending Cannes from the glory of my dining room table. There’s not a palm tree in sight, yet inspiration and intel are present in abundance.

Cannes Lions is a global cultural pulse check. The social course correction in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and BLM has delivered far greater diversity in the judging panels as well as the work. And we are all better for it.

I’m proud to say that creativity defeated COVID, which speaks to its power. Great work and big ideas flourished, despite unimaginable odds.

The work from the past two years spans a vast emotional range. From the profundity of Dove’s “Courage is Beautiful” to the hyper exuberance of Burberry’s “Festive,” they are opposite ends of the spectrum, but each answered a need in us.

Take note, the ascendency of gaming cannot be understated. Smart brands have embraced the channel. It makes sense, because gamers participate to meet others around the world, not just to play. And they represent a huge and powerful community. That’s why QSR Wendy’s gamified their iconic gal in RPG’s Feast of Legends.

Burger King sponsored the unknown Stevenage Football Club, transforming the team into online heroes and vaulting BK into the fray at the same time. Once again, the brand embedded itself in culture.

The birth of gaming tourism arrived when Xbox snuggled up to travel guides and created a brilliant baby: a travel guide for gaming worlds. It, too, embedded itself in culture.

From the standpoint of social good, Reporter Without Borders showed how it worked with Mindcraft for its “Uncensored Library” to bypass press censorship, with Minecraft providing a loophole to a space where young people could be educated. It provided youth with a powerful tool to fight oppression: truth.

COVID changed us in unexpected ways. We learned how to pay attention again and there was a notable lack of 30-second commercials. Instead, longer format content thrived. Apple’s WFH was seven minutes long. Entertainment reigned king, so we find ourselves returning to our advertising roots.

Seeing competitive brands form partnerships was one of this year’s other great surprises. The brilliantly simple “Beer Cap Project” by Aguila to reduce binge-drinking saw the brand reach out to competitive beers to join in. Aguila put incentivizing (keyword: free) reminders to drink water, eat food and get home safely on its bottle caps from all sorts of fast food chains, ride-share co’s and H2O brands.

On a personal level, I’m so proud of Canada again this year. Given that it was two years of work from all over the world being judged, even making the Cannes shortlist was an accomplishment. Canada is herding in the Lions in tremendous numbers – and it’s not even over. Fingers are crossed.

Karen Howe is a Canadian Cannes Advisory Board Member and founder of The Township Group