A BIG BANNER appeared yesterday on MTV Headquarters Toronto. The 50 foot banner was part of The Ministry of Health's Stupid.ca campaign to prevent teens from smoking. Canadian band Silverstein joined in and did a performance on MTV Live. Youthography conceived and executed all logistics of the “building” living media installation, MTV's & Silverstein's involvement.

I just love the absurdity of it all. And the Emes chair is the cherry on top. Agency: Crispin Porter + Bogusky.    Director: Matt Lenski of Reginaldo.

Montreal-based François Chartier worked as an art director & illustrator for 25 years. In January of 2000 he left advertising & dedicated himself to a more personal type of art. I found this link to his work on Applied Arts.

Great new Five Alive spot via Leo Burnett, Toronto & Head Gear Animation. I'm a sucker for a good swashbuckler scene. Director: Julian Grey. Creatives: David Frederico & Morgan Kurchak. View it here.

To submit a film to Straight8 a director is sent an 8mm film cartridge to shoot on and then sends it back to Straight8 along with a cd soundtrack for their film. The first time the director or anyone sees the film is when it plays in front of an audience. This is Aleysa Young's Straight8 film, Blockhead, which was one of 11 chosen from over 200 films to be premiered at the 2006 Cannes International Film Festival.

The winners of the Global Student Animation Awards were announced last night by Stash magazine. The Three Legged Legs were the Animation/Best of 2006 winners for their Humans! spot. Three Legged Legs are repped in the US by Green Dot Films & in the UK by Rokkit.

Tomorrow night at 9pm TBS is doing their World's Funniest Commercials show. Among the "finalists" is Rethink's 1-800-Got Junk? commercial that utilized rat-vertising. You can watch it here. Directed by Reginald Pike's Brian Lee Hughes.

Ya, I can admit it, I love mobile phones. I'm not into a lot of gadgets, but I have to get myself a new mobile at least once a year. I currently have the Nokia 6111 but am looking for a new phone & found this site today. If you love mobile phones like I do, prepare to drool.

I was poking around on the interweb this morning & I found this intestesting "film festival" that directorial duo Happy are hosting -- fittingly called Happy Hour. Deadline for submissions is September 10th, event screening & party on Septmber 23rd.

Do you have a few moments for some mindless destruction on a Friday? Of course you do. Go to sumosmash.com, created by DDB Chicago & Reginaldo director Brian Lee Hughes for Sumo Glue, and choose an item to smash. I highly suggest the live kittens. Happy Friday.

I met Stephen Crowhurst, the former creative director of Toronto's Nakd, the other night. His BOX spot (under the name Nakd) was featured at the 2006 Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors’ Showcase in Cannes. Stephen is a now a free agent, so you would be completely insane not to sign him up as a director.

I met directorial duo Happy last night at The Drake Hotel with the lovely Jacqui from Soft Citizen. They are in Toronto on a shoot. Did you two check out my blog?

Great Levi's ad out of Neogama BBH, Brazil. Found on Adverbox.

Ya, I know this one is all over the internet. But it’s great. I had to post it it. Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland; Director: Smith & Foulkes; Production Company: Nexus.

The signs are all around us, summer is nearing an end. First it was the back to school commercials and now this. But, because this commercial for Rogers has the beautifully dreamy touch of director Hubert Davis, I'll forgive it. Agency Publicis Toronto.

Dentsu Toronto has just completed a cinema and print campaign for Vespa Canada. Toronto-based Crush did the cinema. View both the cinema and print campaign here.

I think these are cool so I thought I'd share. From Bright via The Hidden Persuader.

Creative Review magazine has extended the deadline for their Creative Futures, a showcase of the best young talent (under 28) in visual communication. They are particularly looking for entries from brilliant young ad creatives or post people. Deadline is August 25th so get your young creative ass in gear.

I found this inspiring video on Advertising/Design Goodness & I could watch it all day. Matt quit his job in Brisbane, Australia in 2003 to travel the world ---- read more here. The result of his travel experience is this fantastic video. I urge you to watch. But don't do anything hasty, like quit your job, after watching it.

Beware the Burst in this new spot for Bubblicious directed by Brian Lee Hughes via Youthography Toronto. This is Youthography's first broadcast spot & I hear another is already in the works. Check out the viral here. Flame artist is David Whiteson of Crush.

Avis staff are fans of the Yankees. New from Reginaldo director Brian Lee Hughes & McCann Erickson New York. Reginaldo is the US off-shoot of Reginald Pike. 

If only the client could see this. I found it on Kreten Intelligens Humormagazin where you will find many more strange, mindless and entertaining things suitable for the Friday of a long weekend. Be sure to go to the bottom of the page for the female Ronald McDonald zombie girl eating an arm.

UNTITLED director Graydon Sheppard has a great personal/portfolio site www.graydonsheppard.com. Self-described as "sweet with razorblades inside", it fits his work to a tee. Be sure to look at his stills -- some interesting & diverse work.

Great new music video from the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s using clips from videos submitted by fans. Nice and raw, in a good way.

This great film won Best Spec Spot at the 2006 AICP Awards. Directed by Sticks+Stones’ Jerry Brown and edited by Panic & Bob’s Michelle Czukar.