No Frills is exploring some innovative new advertising techniques and media channels with it’s ‘Haulerverse’ campaign. We recently spoke with The Star about these engaging new approaches. Read the article here.

Can advertising help affect behavioral change as fatigue and frustration sets in with yet another lockdown? What lessons can we learn by studying global advertising and communications around COVID-19? Some thought-provoking dialogue with The Pointer. 

The Canadian Marketing League teamed up with Pepsico for a National Case Competition looking for Lay’s next big idea. In December of 2020, we helped judge and guide new visions that were both inspiring and outstanding. Check it out!

Canada’s Next Top Ad Exec is the premier case competition for young marketers to showcase their talent to employers and test their skills against the best young marketers in the country. Thanks to McMaster University for asking us to judge the 2019 Microsoft brief. Click here for details.

We were asked to host a webinar for Applied Arts in November 2018, on the topic of “The Collective Catapult: Creating Opportunity with Community.” Read more here: OCAD University article.

Returning to speak at the University Art Association, once again, this time we spoke about the correlation between compassion and productivity. Interesting topic. Read more: Page 69 of UAAC Conference.pdf

For the 5th time, we were honoured to be invited to speak at the Association of Registered Graphic Design Educators Conference. We spoke about our favourite topic: Trends and technology and their impact on the future of advertising.

Applied Arts invited us to moderate a panel of industry experts discussing the future of advertising. 1,500 people interested in the creative arts attended. See more about Creative Futures here.

Ann Urban was featured in the March 2016 issue of Applied Arts where she wrote “Paralleling the seismic shift from an analogue world to a digital world, OCAD University responded with a more rigorous, richer approach to advertising. Today, our ad program, revamped in 2012 by Ann Urban and Chair Sandy Kedey teaches strategy, research, media, budgeting, branding, positioning, ideation, art direction, design and copywriting—executed in multiple software across a vast range of media, both traditional and leading edge…’ Read article here.

…To advertising industry veteran and OCAD University marketing professor Ann Urban, buzzwords like “glow” appeal to both our need for simplification and human warmth in our complex and cold world. “We turn to the promise of warm glowing embers in everything from our pillows to our pancetta to our skin creams,” Urban says. “The right buzzword can capture the fleeting essence of what we’re all feeling at any given time as a society. ‘Glow’ is just that kind of word.”  Click to read full Toronto Star article

Urban & Co. swept the Best of CAMA 2014 award show with an unprecedented 19 nominations and wins for innovation, creativity and marketing results. The Best of CAMA win for Social media featured a contest tracking the Dekalb brand presence throughout the world. Urban & Co. has won dozens of BOC awards over the past 10+ years, where campaigns are measured on a blend of marketing and creative excellence—and performance in the marketplace.

Urban & Co. were Best of CAMA award show winners for two highly customized and innovative marketing pieces. These were a technological first for the industry and part of a larger initiative to drive marketing excellence through the use of technology. Working with Sherpa Marketing, the Dekalb print on demand guide featured sophisticated customization and efficiencies that resulted in precision targeting, customized offers and waste reduction. A second initiative created variable data inserts targeting specific individuals with marketing messages unique only to them. No two inserts were alike.

The ‘National Champion’ award recognizes humanitarian efforts in Cause Marketing on behalf of Cystic Fibrosis Canada. This prestigious award is given in recognition of two decades of Marketing and Advertising initiatives by Urban + Co. principals Ann Urban and Paul Joyce. This honour is not an annual award but is only bestowed on the occasion of exemplary contributions resulting in meaningful impact. Funding generated for over 20 years by the Northwords/Urban + Co. marketing campaigns helped support Canadian research which was instrumental in extending the average age of survival from 12 years of age to the mid 30s.

Ann Urban was formally presented with the ‘Non-Tenured Award for Excellence in Teaching’ at Roy Thompson Hall on June 8 for her contributions to OCAD University. Her contributions to the OCAD University Advertising program were recognized by anonymous nominations submitted by members across the OCAD U community, including students, faculty, alumni and administration. This is the highest honour the University can award a non-tenured professor. OCAD has benefitted from Ann’s considerable expertise in the advertising industry as she has taught advertising at all levels of the program over the past two decades. Ann is also a full Professor, conference speaker, researcher, author and subject of several media articles. She is ranked the #1 Professor at OCAD at ratemyprofessors.com. Read more.

Ann Urban and Sandy Kedey were invited to present their findings from a three year research study exploring the impact of technology and change in advertising—and the resultant implications for the advertising industry, design education and the workplace. Comparing and contrasting the expectations and needs of all stakeholders in this shifting landscape pointed the way to shared solutions of benefit to the advertising industry, advertisers and educators. For more than 20 years, Ann Urban has been a Professor at OCAD University and the head of her own marketing firm. She regularly lectures to the advertising industry, researches and publishes on topics of interest to the advertising and marketing community. The recommendations from the research she co-authored with Sandy Kedey have been implemented at OCAD University, resulting in a newly revamped and updated program for graduating advertising students. The program has been so successful that it has been profiled in several major media, including the Globe and Mail in 2014. Ann has been a regular speaker at the annual RGD conference since it’s inception in 2012. See Video. More on Conference.