BBDO Toronto knows beer, and its familiarity with suds (not to mention creative) helped land the historic Guinness beer account. Also a boon are the Toronto shop’s links with AMV BBDO London, which handles the Guinness brand globally. The nod from Guinness UDV Canada of Toronto gives BBDO all Canadian strategic and AOR action; media planning and buying resides with Toronto-based Starcom Worldwide.

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has appointed Wasserman & Partners Advertising, both of Vancouver, as AOR for its four B.C. properties. The account is valued at approximately $650,000.

The Salk Institute, a non-profit scientific research facility located in La Jolla, Calif., has hired Scott Thornley + Company of Toronto as its creative AOR with the first order of business being a strategic branding program.

Toronto’s AOL Canada has chosen Starcom Worldwide to handle its media buying business, an assignment estimated at $12 million.

B.C.’s University of Victoria has brought Malahat Group International on board as its first AOR. Malahat of Victoria is affiliated with Palmer Jarvis DDB.