A popular airline for artists, filmmakers and stars headed from California’s West Coast to Toronto for this year’s Festival, Virgin America and the Toronto International Film Festival have teamed up to offer cinephiles the chance to win the ultimate date in Toronto: flight, hotel, dinner for two, and tickets to the world-renowned Film Festival.

“With unrivalled in-flight entertainment, Virgin America is truly the airline of choice for film lovers across North America. We’re thrilled to partner with the Toronto International Film Festival to support filmmakers around the world – and to help this year’s festival goers arrive entertained and in style,” said Porter Gale, Vice President of Marketing at Virgin America.

The eleven-day Festival is one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world, drawing an audience of over 250,000 annually to Toronto for the high-profile event. The Toronto International Film Festival is often considered a launching pad for both Hollywood and independent films.

“We’re delighted to partner with Virgin America for this year’s Festival,” said Piers Handling, Director and CEO, TIFF. “We’re pleased to have them serve Toronto as our newest airline – and to partner with them to help bring in some of the thousands of visitors who will arrive for this year’s Festival.”

Virgin America and the 2010 Festival have also teamed up for a unique digital promotion. California and Toronto residents may visit the airline’s Web site or social media sites through September 2, 2010 and submit their best pickup line, with the hopes of “smooth talking” their way into the Festival. Three lucky winners will score tickets to attend the prestigious opening night gala as well as a hotel stay and dinner for two. Winning California residents will receive a complimentary flight to Toronto for the festival on Virgin America and winning Toronto residents will receive a flight to anywhere Virgin America flies.

For more, visit: www.virginamerica.com or www.facebook.com/virginamerica.

Since its 2007 launch, Virgin America has experienced record-setting growth, won over millions of flyers with its innovative service and has made a consecutive sweep of the major reader-based travel awards including being voted “Best Domestic Airline” in the 2008 and 2009 Conde Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards and in the 2008, 2009 and 2010 Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards.

In addition to a Main Cabin that offers custom-designed leather seats with a deeper, more comfortable pitch, the airline’s First Class offers plush white leather seats with 55 inches of pitch, 165 degrees of recline and lumbar massagers. The carrier’s Main Cabin Select option offers 38-inches of pitch, free food and cocktails, an all-access pass to the Red in-flight entertainment system’s countless entertainment options, dedicated overhead bins and priority check-in/boarding. Virgin America was the first airline in North America to offer WiFi on every flight as of May 2009 – and first announced its expansion to Toronto via Twitter – without the support of traditional advertising.

“Along with our other investments in premium digital video content, this partnership with Warner Music Canada will enable Rogers Digital Media to offer even more premium video content to advertisers,” said Claude Galipeau, SVP & GM, Rogers Digital Media.

“Warner Music Canada is committed to building our artists’ careers using all avenues available. There is abundant value in the content our artists create, and the relationship with Rogers Digital Media now allows us to connect advertisers with music fans as they engage with their favourite artists and videos online,” commented Steve Kane, President, Warner Music Canada

This partnership continues to position Rogers Digital Media as the premium digital video content provider in Canada. Rogers Digital Media offers premium brand media sales expertise second to none in Canada and a strong reputation for creating innovative custom solutions leveraging its suite of premium brand sites across its Radio, Broadcast and Publishing brands. “Our sales efforts have always been centered on premium brands; the partnership with Warner Music Canada is a natural extension to our expertise in brand solutions,” said Jennifer Sage, Senior Director, Sales at Rogers Digital Media.

Engineered to react to the exacting needs of the elite hockey player, Bauer’s integrated neck protection apparel features a BNQ- and CE-certified neck guard built directly into Bauer’s leading performance base layer for a patented, unmatched 2-in-1 solution. The neck guard features DuPont™
Kevlar® brand fiber – which Bauer has the exclusive right to use in hockey – for the utmost in protection, performance and comfort.

In addition to being named the exclusive provider of neck protection to Hockey Canada, Bauer Hockey signed a five-year agreement with the organization to also become the official skate, glove, helmet and facial protection (including goal masks) of Hockey Canada.

“We are pleased to name Bauer Hockey as the exclusive provider of neck protection for Hockey Canada and we are excited to extend our relationship in the key areas of skates, gloves, helmets and facial protection,” said Brad Pascall, vice-president of hockey operations/national teams, Hockey Canada. “Bauer is a leader in developing innovative hockey equipment and its introduction of integrated neck protection apparel showcases Bauer’s commitment to advancing the game of hockey and those who play it.”

Bauer’s integrated neck protection apparel is unique from traditional neck guards in its ability to provide superior cut-resistant protection while maintaining a soft, flexible feel. An adjustable collar allows for a customized fit and provides maximum comfort, while Bauer’s “hockey fit” design and premium four-way stretch fabrics optimize overall mobility.

“Across Canada and much of the world, players are required to wear neck protection, however, players had limited options in traditional neck guards and many did not meet the needs of performance athletes,” said Kathy McGown, category general manager of apparel, Bauer Hockey. “With the introduction of our integrated neck protection, we have created a 2-in-1 piece that not only fulfils the protection required from a neck guard, but integrates it into the highly sought after performance base layer product that players can wear under their equipment.”
For more information, visit Bauer.com.

“Canada is a caring society and Canadians are very technologically savvy,” says Darrell MacMullin, General Manager, PayPal Canada. “By bringing these two powerful qualities together and making charitable giving and fundraising simpler on the digital platforms Canadians use every day, PayPal hopes to help charities find new ways of raising money.”

PayPal Mobile 2.5 for iPhone makes charitable giving easy

The new version of the PayPal Mobile 2.5 released today on iTunes allows customers to send charity donations to 17 highly regarded, national Canadian non-profit organizations directly from their iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. Donations can be funded from a PayPal account balance, bank balance or credit card. PayPal worked with Artez Interactive, a Toronto-based online fundraising solutions provider to make the donate feature possible.

The use of smartphones to buy products and services from online retailers, known as mobile commerce, has exploded in recent years. PayPal customers completed $25 million in mobile purchases in 2008. In 2009, the figure jumped to $141 million. In 2010, PayPal expects to process more than $500 million in mobile transactions.

Part of that growth has been fuelled by the rapid adoption of smartphones in Canada. According to an IDC report in January 2010, smartphone penetration among businesses and consumers in Canada is about 25 per cent, but is growing at a rate of 30 per cent year over year. In Canada, the growing number of advanced networks is expected to continue to drive smartphone adoption.

“Customers are comfortable using smartphones for all kinds of professional and personal needs, so making it easier for Canadians to give to charities that way is important,” said Philip King, President and CEO, Artez Interactive. “For charities, mobile giving is a new channel; one that allows people to give quickly and simply and one that may help reach new, younger audiences who don’t respond as readily to traditional fundraising campaigns.”

“When disasters occur it’s important to reach as many donors as possible and make it simple to donate,” said Almin Surani, Chief Information Officer, Canadian Red Cross. “People sometimes have every intention of sending a donation, but it’s not always top of mind. The PayPal mobile app makes donating fast, simple and immediate.”

Nationally recognized Canadian non-profit organizations which are included in the PayPal Mobile 2.5 for iPhone include:

• Canadian Red Cross
• SickKids Foundation
• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Foundation
• UNICEF Canada
• Kids Help Phone
• WWF-Canada
• Habitat For Humanity Canada
• David Suzuki Foundation
• Canadian Mental Health Association
• Canadian Cancer Society
• The Salvation Army
• ALS Society of Canada (Lou Gehrig’s disease)
• Alzheimer Society of Canada
• Canadian National Institute for the Blind
• Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada
• Toronto Maple Leaf Sports Team Up Foundation
• Plan Canada

FundRazr on Facebook quickly enables charity donations and fundraising

PayPal is also pleased to announce availability of the new FundRazr application from ConnectionPoint Systems of Vancouver.  FundRazr capitalizes on the power and security of PayPal X, and helps people doing fundraising magnify the pool of potential donors by broadcasting appeals from within Facebook to their social network.

“There’s enormous value in leveraging PayPal and Facebook to enable social networking communities to fundraise for causes they’re passionate about,” said Daryl Hatton, ConnectionPoint founder & CEO. “Our collaboration with PayPal delivers today’s most innovative online fundraising and sets the stage for launching a spectrum of social media fundraising tools.”

Uniquely, FundRazr allows anyone to create engaging, professional-quality fundraising campaigns containing such rich media as photos, sound and video. Available free on FundRazr’s website or Facebook page, the application is quickly added to a Facebook user’s profile.  Easy sharing with others via email, Facebook News Feed or Twitter drives rapid build-up of community support and donations.

In the heart of Toronto and in the midst of a true military commemorative ceremony, the strength and bond between the CFL and the Veterans Affairs rang true. Veterans, members of the Canadian Forces, CFL alumni, government officials and Jake Gaudaur’s family members stood proud as Maple Leaf Forever resonated in the great hall at the Armoury. CFL greats including Russell Stanley “Russ” Jackson, Granville Liggins, Matt Dunigan, Bob Bronk, Mike Eben, and Leo Ezerins filled the seats to take part in the unveiling of the Jake Gaudaur Veterans’ Trophy commemorating the shared history of the CFL and the Veterans of Canada.

“The goal of the Jake Gaudaur Veteran’s Award is to honour the sacrifices made by Canadian Veterans in a respectful and significant way,” said Cohon. “We want to share a spotlight on the contributions of the men and women who have given us their youth, their spirit, their talents, and too often, their lives.”

Jake Gaudaur, a veteran of the Second World War, heard the call of duty to serve his nation at the age of 20, answered it and served on the Royal Canadian Air Force. He was a well-loved, strong and dedicated man who passed away in 2007.  One of his daughters commented how her father was truly the gentle giant whose two great loves were football and his country.  Gaudaur started his football career at the age of 19, playing for the Hamilton Tiger Cats. During his time in the service Jake played on the Royal Canadian Air Force Hurricanes – one of two military football teams filled of service men during the Second World War – beginning the bond between the Armed Forces and the Canadian Football League. Gaudaur donned jerseys for Toronto, Montreal and Hamilton, winning the coveted Grey Cup twice in his career, in 1942 and 1953.

Gaudaur’s football career exhibited roles on and off the field with a vision to improve the game he loved for all Canadians. He served as the longest running commissioner of the CFL for 16 years.

The prestigious edition to the CFL trophy display strives to highlight the contributions of our veterans. The first Jake Gaudaur’s Veterans’ Trophy will be awarded in Edmonton this November to a player that exemplifies the attributes shared by Canadian Veterans; the player must exhibit strength of the body, mind and character, perseverance, courage, comradeship and a contribution to Canadian communities.
Attendees at the event were reminded that the Jake Gaudaur Trophy is not only a commemoration of individual achievement but also a symbol, a tangible remembrance of the sacrifice of Canadians and of Canada’s allies, to remind us of what we strive for in play, in our lives and in the world.

A selection committee will annually choose a current or recently retired CFL player with at least five seasons of play. Candidates are selected with an emphasis on involvement with remembrance, youth development, members of the Canadian military, intergenerational leadership, Canadian history and heritage, and public relations. It is fitting that the trophy is dedicated to a man that was dedicated to each one of those ideals.

The Jake Gaudaur Trophy will join the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy as the second commemorative trophy awarded in the CFL, extending the opportunity for the CFL to celebrate the bond it shares with the Veterans and enforcing Canada’s Veteran Partnership. The trophy is a part of the Canadian Football League 2010 Veterans’ Tribute, which includes national broadcasts and in-stadium activities commemorating the achievements of Canadian Veterans during times of war, military and peace. The award is supported by Veterans Affairs Canada through the Community Engagement Partnership Fund.

On Friday, August 20, Canadian Tire opened the doors to one of its average neighbourhood stores to announce their five-year partnership with the NHL® . Opened to the public, the press event’s over the top staging, flocks of executives and media, foreshadowed the big announcement that was to come.

(Click here for the official press announcement and partnership details)

The authenticity of the launch was immaculate.

As 30 kids sporting Canadian Tire Hockey School (CTHS) jerseys marched in, the buzz began to rise. Proud parents watched while their little budding hockey stars took their seats behind life-size hockey boards and dotted the stage’s adjacent perimeters to surround the media with honest, excited grins.

The branding and logo placements for the NHL®, Canadian Tire and CTHS, were naturally integrated into the arena-style staging. The main stage saw ice skates strategically showcased against an illuminated ice rink backdrop, while the media were seated on wooden “players” benches. I nearly expected a teenager carrying a confectionary basket above his head to offer me some Twizzlers!

With all of their ducks (errr… mini hockey players) in a row, local dealer Ted Magnall opened the floor and introduced Mike Arnett, President of Canadian Tire Retail and Keith Wachtel, Senior Vice President, Integrated Sales & Marketing, NHL®. Arnett and Wachtel spoke about how the partnership of the two iconic brands will create a positive hockey experience and provide helpful resources for parents, players, coaches and fans alike. After their messages, the duo introduced the Hockey School’s founding member, Chicago Blackhawks’® team captain Jonathan Toews. The Manitoba native was presented the same CTHS jersey that the tiny tots were sporting. After symbolically putting on the jersey, the day came full circle when the Toews spoke about getting his first pair of skates at Canadian Tire. The event closed with all 30 kids, Wachtel and Arnett surrounding JT for a photo-op.

TrojanOne consulted Canadian Tire on the partnership with the NHL® and played a large role in the activation of Hockey School from POS to web to the camps. Naturally, I was excited to be present at the unveiling of the highly confidential project that my coworkers, the T1 team, had been eating, sleeping and breathing for months.

One of my favourite moments of the day is two-fold.  A mom was standing behind the media, with her two little girls, watching her son who was one of the young hockey players in a CTHS jersey chosen to be part of the launch and photo-op. She had this thrilled look on her face, barely containing itself from announcing, “That’s my son over there! Two feet away from his idle, Jonathan Toews!” Her camera was snapping and flashing and you just knew that moment would be remembered forever.

Now, the marketer in me emerges: the other great thing about that moment was the proof that getting real moms (the consumers) and their kids involved in the launch of a new property like CTHS is the pinnacle of brand activation and consumer engagement.

Without a doubt in my mind, that mother is more engaged in her child’s passion for hockey than ever before. Fostering that passion, she’s likely to register all of her hockey-playing kids for Canadian Tire Hockey School, enter for a chance to win the $25,000 NHL® Dream Season Contest, and is counting down the days until the details of the hockey camps in her area are announced.

“The ideation of Canadian Tire Hockey School stemmed, most importantly, from a strong understanding of the consumer passions needed to be tapped into,” said Mark Harrison, President, TrojanOne. “We know that hockey is more than just the game once the skates come off.  Parents, players, coaches and fans needed an outlet to support and reinforce their passion. That’s what Canadian Tire Hockey School is all about and will deliver to Canadians.”

Long live hockey!

The CN Canadian Women’s Open is the only Canadian stop on the LPGA Tour, home to the world’s top female professional golfers. For only the second time in its 27-year history, and the first time in nearly two decades, the tournament will be held in Manitoba. As the official communications solutions provider to the 2010 CN Canadian Women’s Open, MTS Allstream’s support will make it possible for event organizers to communicate and coordinate on-site, and allow international media outlets to broadcast the tournament live.

“As one of the largest corporate headquarters located in Manitoba, MTS Allstream is proud to support this event, one of the top golf tournaments in Canada featuring some of the world’s elite golfing talent right in our home community. Winnipeg has not hosted this event since 1992 and we are proud to help make it a success with the support of the leading-edge communications technology and services we offer,” said Pierre Blouin, chief executive officer, MTS Allstream. “We are very pleased that the proceeds will support an important institution in our province- the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba.”

“We are very happy to work with MTS Allstream, Manitoba’s hometown communications provider, to meet the communication needs of the 2010 CN Canadian Women’s Open,” said Scott Simmons, executive director and CEO, Golf Canada. “We can’t conduct an event of this calibre without the support of local companies and businesses. On behalf of Golf Canada, our title sponsor CN and the LPGA, I would like to sincerely thank MTS Allstream for their generous support.”

MTS Allstream, along with its employees, is committed to being an active participant and supporter of the communities in which it operates, supporting numerous community and charitable events each year.

All Less offsets are sourced from certified Gold Standard projects, a globally recognized standard endorsed by leading environmental groups including WWF International, the David Suzuki Foundation, and the Pembina Institute. Gold Standard projects achieve GHG emission reductions through international projects that focus on renewable energy and energy efficiency that reduce emissions at the source. In July 2009, Less was ranked as the highest quality offset provider in the Carbon Offset Purchasing Guide released by the David Suzuki Foundation and the Pembina Institute.

“Kraft Canada is thrilled to be able to offset the carbon emissions from the Kraft Celebration Tour with the highest quality offsets available,” said Jack Hewitt, vice-president, marketing services, Kraft Canada. “Working with Less is an important part of our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint and increasing awareness of climate change.”

The decision to offset travel emissions from the Kraft Celebration Tour complements Kraft Canada’s existing environmental strategy, which focuses on waste reduction and conservation in its manufacturing operations. Its goals include reducing energy-related carbon dioxide emissions by 25 per cent, water consumption by 15 per cent, solid waste by 15 per cent and eliminating 150 million pounds of packaging material by 2011 based on 2005 levels. Three of Kraft’s Canadian facilities – the Mississauga Mill, the Scarborough Bakery and the Oakville plant – have already reached zero-waste-to-landfill status through the reduction, sorting and repurposing of solid waste.

“We’re pleased that Kraft Canada has chosen to offset the travel-related carbon emissions of the 2010 Kraft Celebration Tour through Less,” said Ron Seftel, director, Less. “Kraft is demonstrating a strong commitment to environmental action through its existing sustainability strategy and by taking steps to mitigate emissions from the event.”

Less is Canada’s only provider of an EcoLogo-certified carbon offset program for businesses and individuals interested in lessening their environmental impact. Less provides high-quality offsets sourced from Gold Standard projects, a globally recognized carbon offset certification standard endorsed by leading environmental groups including WWF International. In conjunction with conservation and switching to environmentally low-impact products and services, offsetting with trusted, verifiably additional offsets from Less can allow homes and organizations to reduce their carbon footprint, support sustainable development initiatives, and leave a lighter impact on the earth. The company has pledged to donate 10% of profits to organizations that support sustainability. Less is a trademark of Less Emissions Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Bullfrog Power Inc.

Sport is a powerful tool – it has the power to reduce crime, foster character and citizenship, introduce newcomers to their communities, stimulate the local economy, provide adult mentorship for young people, teach kids important life lessons and strengthen community connectedness.

Unfortunately, sport participation is on the decline in our country.  Over the past two decades, sport participation rates in Canadian youth aged 15 to 18 dropped from 77 per cent to 59 per cent–and in adults, from 45 per cent to 28 per cent. Over half of Canadian adults are considered inactive, and only 12 per cent of our children and youth are active enough to meet Canada’s physical activity guidelines.
There are over 30,000 sport and recreation organizations in Canada, offering programs and opportunities geared to all levels and backgrounds. Given this commitment to community sport, CBC Sports, ParticipACTION and True Sport teamed up to create Sports Day in Canada to help profile and raise awareness for these organizations and the impact they’re having on their respective communities. Long term, ParticipACTION is striving to increase sport participation rates all across Canada.

Sports Day in Canada is a national day of sport celebration! Essentially it is a support mechanism geared towards sport-delivery organizations, teams and clubs.  As an initiative created to bring the many sport communities of the country together, under one umbrella, to better profile the variety of sport-related activities taking place across the country, it encourages all communities to participate. Whether it’s a sport demo, league game, ongoing neighbourhood sport rivalry or athlete appearance, be sure to register your event as a Sports Day in Canada event and gain access to promotional tools to help increase its visibility in your community.

This year, Sports Day in Canada will be held on Saturday, September 18, 2010. CBC Sports will be compiling a list of all registered events and will feature a selection in a special national broadcast hosted by Canada’s own sports anchor, Scott Russell. Create your own Sports Day in Canada event today and be a part of this special national initiative. Be sure to register it in our database at www.cbcsports.ca/sportsday.

Also, another big part of this initiative is Jersey Day, taking place on Friday, September 17. This is a national day to show your love and support for sport by wearing a jersey, team or club uniform to school, work or play. From municipal council chambers to the National Capital to news desks, office buildings and classrooms across the nation, we envision a sea of Canadians wearing their hearts on their sleeves on national Jersey Day. Which team will you wear on the 17th?

Sports Day in Canada, is already a part of many Canadian communities; some of the events taking place include the National Rugby Championships, 100th Anniversary of Queen’s University Women’s Basketball, World Wheelchair Rugby Championships and the Grand Opening of the Creekside Community and Recreation Centre in the Vancouver 2010 Athlete Village.

A prime example of a community taking Sports Day in Canada to the next level is the Edmonton Neighbourhood Community League (www.efcl.org) Day – a local organization that empowers local level volunteers to energize their neighbourhoods through sport – a truly inspirational way to make sport related activities accessible to everyone.

You can get in the game today and make any sport event, taking place during the week of Sept.11-18, a part of Sports Day in Canada.  Register now at www.cbcsports.ca/sportsday and join our LinkedIn Group for ongoing announcements and event profiles. On August 20, customizable promotional tools will be made available to you to help promote your Sports Day in Canada event.

Show your Canadian spirit and love for sport by being a part of the first ever Sports Day in Canada. Whether you get in the game by supporting your favourite team on Sept.17 for Jersey Day or by organizing or attending a sport event on Sept.18 for Sports Day in Canada, the entire country looks forward to your participation and encourages you to spread the word in your communities!

Sports Day in Canada related websites:

CBC Sports – get in the game and register your event today!

ParticipACTION

True Sport

LinkedIn

You have seen the commercials and laughed. Two superheroes in blue tights chest-bumping at a wedding or saving the distressed damsel from the clutches of evil incarnate, namely a self-obsessed pretty boy. You have heard Hotel Planner challenge the world with its guarantee to get the lowest rates or pay for your hotel room. You may have even wondered if these building-leaping feats were possible.

This new campaign springboards off this commercial catalyst to bigger and more heroic things. A pioneering and major leader in group travel for the past decade, Hotel Planner handles 1,000 group leads a day.  They handle everything from small business meetings to behemoth weddings, charity events, reunions and other special events. With this new campaign, the company focuses its attention on team travel.

It might be your local, girls, volleyball team struggling with school budget cuts or that excelling high school football team traveling to the all-at-stake playoffs. Whatever the dire needs be, Hotel Planner promises to deliver the best deals. And it already has. The company takes care of the group travel needs of five major sports teams. These teams are the LA Clippers, the NJ Nets, the Florida Panthers, the Golden State Warriors and the San Diego Chargers.  And that is just the beginning.

Showing that self-starter initiative the company is known for, this campaign is going after team travel business by offering to pay half of the hotel costs for deserving sports teams. To apply, participating teams must simply write why their group is deserving of the special promotional deal and email their reply to sponsorship@hotelplanner.com

Enduring the climate of a troubled and uncertain economy takes patience and innovation. Hotel Planner will not fold its hand but ups the ante with this new campaign to promote travel among youth teams. Tough times call for resilient responses. HotelPlanner.com responds with resilience, brilliance and superhero intelligence.