Why that’s a bad idea.

There are some who hope Toronto can advertise its financial troubles away. Early last year, the Toronto District School Board briefly flirted with a scheme to install ad-displaying video screens in schools, before abandoning the idea. Last summer, the TTC signaled that it might be interested in allowing corporate sponsors to name subway stations. More [...]

Anti-pink ribbon breast cancer awareness from Rethink Breast Cancer. The charity bills itself as the “first-ever, Canadian breast cancer charity to bring bold, relevant awareness to the under-40 crowd; foster a new generation of young and influe…

I thought this was a joke but apparently it’s for real and they’re removing the billboard from one neighborhood but letting it remain in others. The above billboard ad for Wodka vodka so offended residents of the Hunts Point neighborhood in the Bronx t…

Movie posters removed on day of premiere due to extreme puritanism. Why do we hate some ads more than others?

Our city’s ubiquitous street advertiser, Astral Media, pulled 38 bus-shelter ads yesterday after receiving an unknown number of complaints regarding their lewdness. The offending image: posters for the movie Goon, in which actor Jay Baruchel is sticking his tongue out between two fingers—what the Canadian Press called a “sexually suggestive sign.” (Duh.) The posters were [...]

Here’s the latest negative attack ad from the Ron Paul campaign slagging Rick Santorum for not being a “fiscal conservative”… (Seems to have been done by the same agency that created the tough-talking Ford F-150 truck ads.) I suppose one could…

Sit back, relax, and enjoy a meal prepared by a “sandwich virgin.”

When it comes to foreign cuisines available in Toronto, Danish food doesn’t cross most people’s brains. Ask the average joe to name an edible from the land of Hans Christian Andersen and most will draw a blank, stare, or describe the eponymous breakfast pastry. Yet for 20 years, thanks to backing from a Danish government [...]

Chanel has released the mini film, “My New Friend Boy,” shot by Karl Lagerfeld for the Boy Chanel handbag ad campaign featuring Brazilian/British model Alice Dellal.

Um, nothing. Just that runway models — and expectations — are getting skinnier. From Plus Model Magazine. On the left is a “straight-size” runway model, on the right, “plus” size model Katya Zharkova (size 12-14). A…

Dear Readers; After years of trying, Nik Wallenda finally got permission to walk across the Niagara gorge on the Canadian side. Nik had originally wanted to walk across the river itself between Canada and the United States, down by the Rainbow bridge, but problems arose when he didn’t have any place to put his passport [...]

For the launch of Very Irrésistible Givenchy Electric Rose, brand ambassador Liv Tyler has “reinterpreted” the hit single “Need You Tonight”. The music video/ad campaign was shot by Johan Renck, featuring choreography by Bianca Li.

This is pretty …

Before the Internet Archive, the Coles Canadiana Collection revived out-of-print historical works.

While browsing a used book store or fundraising book sale, you’ve probably noticed one of the many colourfully-designed covers adorning most volumes of the Coles Canadiana Collection series. Originally published as budget-priced paperbacks by the Coles bookstore chain, the series’ resurrection of long-out-of-print tomes in their original format, without any modern contextualization, was the 1970s [...]

A very droll short video featuring Elizabeth Banks having a heart attack. Part of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign. Not too edgy, but undoubtedly some will be officially ooffended/hurt/annoyed by the light treatment of …

Frank Zappa’s ensemble were a sensation at Maple Leaf Gardens in 1973.

“Outrageous” was one of many terms applied to Frank Zappa during his musical career. One album, he’d be in a smutty satirical mode, the next was full of serious compositions. When he and the latest incarnation of the Mothers of Invention arrived in May 1973, Zappa was on the cusp of what proved to be [...]

Swiss fashion watch and jewelry maker Swatch commemorates the Chinese New Year with the Swatch Year of the Dragon Watch. The Swatch Year of the Dragon watch features an intricate and graceful Chinese dragon, drawn in blue on a white silico…

Director Daniel Jackson works his magic for the T by Alexander Wang Spring 2012 Collection video, featuring Die Antwoord and their new single “Fatty Boom Boom”.

My favourite Canadian model Daria Werbowy stars opposite Edward Norton in the Prada LG Phone 3.0 Spring Summer 2012 advertising campaign. The duo were photographed by David Sims. I’ve never seen any of these “designer” phones in person. I’m not such…