Diary of a Ceative Director Comes to Advertising Week Toronto

Heidi Ehlers Chats with Amir Kassaei, Chief Creative Officer DDB Worldwide

If there is one Advertising Week Toronto event that is a "must see" this is it. Mark your calendars for Tuesday January 26th at 12:30pm.

Heidi Ehlers founder of Heidi Consults and in partnership with Applied Arts Magazine present live a two-way conversation with Amir Kassaei Chief Creative Officer of DDB Worldwide as part of Heidi's on going series "Diary of a Creative Director".

This event delivers the opportunity to listen in as Heidi deconstructs the steps and the choices Amir has made during his career leading up to his current post as Chief Creative Officer, DDB Worldwide, a network long admired globally for its creativity.

Amir Kassaei Chief Creative Officer DDB Worldwide

Amir resume includes leading his teams that have won more than 4,000 national and international awards including 140 Cannes Lions in the past five years alone. Without questions he is one the advertising creative leaders.

He was named The Big Won Report’s Top Chief Creative Officer in 2009, and has been one of The Big Won’s Top Chief Creative Officers for each of the last 3 years.

Recently Mr. Kassaei delivered a personal mandate and direction for DDB Worldwide on its plans surrounding award shows. The mandate was a strong message that has received it share of praise and criticism published originally on the Campaign blog. The piece titled "The End of False Recognitions" he notes that, 'Too many of us in the industry have bought into the idea that winning awards is proof of creative effectiveness, so much so that we’re willing to sacrifice our integrity to get them. And in turn that has lessened the integrity of the awards themselves". Give the piece a read. It will make for a great Q&A.

Ms. Ehlers debut "Diary of a Creative Director" in 2005 and over the past 10 years has featured numerous creative luminaries, including Alex Bogusky, Susan Credle, David Droga, Jeff Goodby, Gerry Graf, Tony Granger, Tor Myhren & Marcello Serpa. Each interview has strived to ask pointed questions and receive starkly candid answers from creative leaders whose career paths are truly aspirational. Do they think differently about those careers than most of us do about our own? What do they believe are the greatest keys to their success, and what hinders the success of others? What questions do they want answered when they are considering a move? How do they know when it’s time to change jobs? Can you ‘make it’ just by ‘having the book’?

Look forward to seeing you all there.

To book your seat for this event follow this link for tickets.

Toronto AD WEEK 2010 - It's Brave New Year and Decade Ahea

It's a brave New Year and Decade ahead, and at this year's Advertising Week 2010, will be starting the conversation and action.

AdWeek Toronto will kick-off Monday January 25th in the morning with a Launch Breakfast Panel Discussion Moderated by Terry O’Reilly and sponsored by Canwest, with content assistance from the Canadian Advertising Museum.  This is a by invitation only breakfast event will celebrate the opening of the second Advertising Week in Canada. It will be attended by 250 - 300 client and agency leaders, sponsor CEOs, academic thought leaders, government officials and the media.

It's just one of many events scheduled for the January 25 to January 29 for AdWeek 2010 that will be held in various venues around Toronto.

There are two significant events geared towards young "AdLanders", Next Generation Day. Following a tremendously successful inaugural year, Advertising Week’s Next Generation Day is back, bigger and better than before! Student teams will start the day with an exclusive screening of Art & Copy at the ROM, including breakfast, before being whisked away to experience ‘A Day in the Life’ at one of 20 agencies for the unique opportunity to work with some of the best and brightest in the business. Students will come up with a "BIG IDEA" for Your Life Counts (YLC) that will be judged by industry experts. The winning team will be announced at the Next Generation party that night and has the chance to win some incredible prizes including the possibility of having their work produced.

The other great event for all future "AdLAnders" is the screening of Art&Copy. the film reveals the stories behind and the personal odysseys of some of the most influential advertising visionaries of our time and their campaigns, including Lee Clow (Apple Computer 1984, and today’s iPod); Dan Wieden (“Just Do It”); Phyllis K. Robinson (who invented the “me generation” with Clairol); Hal Riney (who helped President Reagan get re-elected); and George Lois (who saved MTV and launched Tommy Hilfiger overnight). Directed by Doug Pray (HYPE! and Scratch), Art&Copy captures the creative energy and passion behind the iconic campaigns that have had a profound impact on American culture.

Other highlights include Wednesday's presentation of the Speaker Series sponsored by MDC Partners titled Creativity in the New Age. Speakers include 
Brandon Berger - Vice President, Digital Innovation, MDC Partners Ryan Wolman - Creative Director, henderson bas Steven Thibodeau - Chief Digital Officer, Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal + Partners. The panel will discuss the new roles of creativity in a fragmented media landscape where the consumer is in control.

Also Thursday, in the evening, the CASSIES will honour deserving marketers and agencies in Canada's award show dedicated to recognizing business effectiveness of advertising.

On Friday, the action returns to the ROM for Google Canada's Jonathan Lister, who will outline the evolution of online video and how it impacts social marketing and communication spaces.

During the entire week, The Radio Marketing Bureau and members of the CHUM radio/CTVglobemedia, Astral Media, Rogers Media, Milestone and MZ Media radio chains will host a social networking happy hour at Lobby Bar from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. to help everyone unwind.

Hopee to see you there.

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