Congratulations to Emily Gomes, Lily Hewitt and Jasmin Zhang for their well-deserved success in the prestigious 2021 RGD Student Awards. I am grateful and appreciative for their kind words of thanks. I’m also reminded of the many talented students I have had the privilege to work with over the years and how their energy, creativity and vision never ceases to amaze and inspire me. Thank you to all my wonderful students and grads!

It’s been a pleasure to serve on the Advertising Professional Advisory Council for the Pilon School of Business. The engagement with faculty, staff, students as well as interactions with the Board of Governors over many years were always inspiring and rewarding. Thank you, Pilon School of Business.

We were honoured to judge the 2021 Best of Canadian Agri-Marketing Awards again this year. The last year we entered this show ourselves, we were nominated for an unprecedented 19 awards, winning several, including Best Campaign of the Year. We know what a challenge it can be to convey specialized information and complexity in clear, persuasive terms. Congratulations to all the winners! https://www.cama.org/best-of-cama/

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 held in October 2017 in Banff, 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 2016 Association of Registered Graphic Design Educators Conference. We spoke about one of our favourite topics: 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 on Nov. 7, 2016. 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. The Dekalb print on demand guide featured next-level customization and efficiencies that resulted in precision targeting, one-of-a-kind offers and waste reduction. A second variable data inserts targeting specific individuals with custom marketing messages followed.