The Toronto International Film Festival took place September 5 to 15, bringing with it the typical barrage of parties, brand activations—and one gala for a hamburger restaurant. Here's a look at some of the festival's most creative marketing and fund-raising ideas from brands such as SodaStream, British Airways, Mary Kay, and MoroccanOil.
Salvatore Ferragamo hosted this year's bash at the Windsor Arms Hotel on September 9. Aiming to evoke an orchid conservatory, Frank Rea of Forget Me Not Flowers decked the space with glass towers filled with red Aranthera orchids and floating candles. Spinning Top Productions produced.
SodaStream presented and the Mint Agency produced a celebration for The Railway Man at Live at the Hive on September 6. Logos appeared in multiple spots, including over a candy bar filled with scoop-it-yourself goodies.
Other brand activations included a mirror with a decal cut into the shape of a SodaStream bottle. A SodaStream machine on site was autographed by celebrity guests (Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth were in attendance) and then auctioned off for charity.
The Mint Agency also produced a fete for The Grand Seduction at Brassaii on September 8. The film centers on a doctor character, and staffers' uniforms and the catering from executive chef Chris Kalisperas played up the theme.
Menu items followed the quirky theme, including lemon vodka shots served in syringes.
The Grand Seduction menu also contained "Thermometer-Dipped Pretzels."
Filthy Gorgeous is a documentary about the life of Penthouse magazine publisher Bob Guccione. Event designer Bill Fulgham chose the new nightclub Cube as the venue for the screening's after-party because, he said: "It was almost made-to-order. The interior is dark and sexy with that required amount of shimmer, and it evokes a sultry and stimulating atmosphere." To amp up the sultriness even more, planners staged a mock Penthouse photo shoot, replete with models and photographers greeting guests. Contemporary Furniture Rentals brought in fixtures that added to the '70s-lounge vibe.
The bar was sponsored by Belvedere vodka, and staffers passed snacks in tight tank tops emblazoned with Filthy.
The Mint Agency recently began handing SodaStream's public relations, so staffers decided to host a media lunch during TIFF to introduce journalists to the brand's executive team. Decor for the daytime event, held at Live at the Hive, was clean and bright.
Along with pink and orange gerbera daisies, decor included vases filled with fresh citrus fruits, Moroccan-style lamps, and displays of the SodaStream machine itself.
Planners brought in celebrity chef Susur Lee to prepare the meal and his son, Kai Bent-Lee, to make drinks at the bar (Bent-Lee is also the mixologist at local hot spot Bent). Working at the so-called "Soda Bar," Bent-Lee prepared drinks that paired with the lunch: For the main course of coffee-marinated pork tenderloin with sautéed wild blueberries and Ontario apples glazed in ice syrup, Lee marinated the meat in SodaStream bubbly water.
The drinks included a basil-yuzu mojito, a ginger-tarragon lemonade spiked with vodka, and a gin and tonic with cucumber-infused gin. All the cocktails, of course, contained SodaStream soda.
Hugo Boss hosted a rooftop after-party for The Enemy screening at the Chase on September 9. Because the film is set in Toronto, planners sought a venue that showcased the city skyline, and McNabb Roick Events kept decor minimal to not detract from the views. The venue selection also presented a play on words that related to the film's plot: in it, star Jake Gyllenhaal chases his enemy.
The event included a DJ stand—and staff uniforms—splashed with the Hugo Boss logo.
On September 9, Wahlburgers—the burger chain backed by celebrity brothers Mark, Paul, and Donnie Wahlberg—celebrated its Toronto launch with a green-carpet bash at the Soho Metropolitan hotel. The burgers come in flavors such as "Mark's Choice," a turkey patty topped with orange-cranberry sauce, roasted butternut squash, and stuffing.
Drake Hotel, a gold-level hospitality sponsor for TIFF, hosted parties from September 5 to 15. The hotel partnered with Future Projections to showcase Sweat by Radical Friend on the outside of the building. The projected images revealed sometimes disturbing representations of mass culture, including murder; there were also images of bikers and deserts. The layered images were ultimately meant to reference the brain functions of characters from films by Canadian director David Cronenberg.
With a "Down the Line" theme, inspired by 1970s London, the nightly programming at the Drake included a showcase of designs from the Brazilian artist Baby Steinberg, who is based in Toronto. Steinberg's project "Science Film" comprises wearable artworks made from VHS tapes' film that has been knitted and crocheted together.
The late-night parties also offered free tattoos in the hotel's Room 222, which became a temporary ink shop. Guests could choose from one of six tattoo designs created for the event.
To celebrate its 29 films premiering at TIFF, Entertainment One hosted a blue-carpet bash (playing off its logo) on September 9. Held at the Roundhouse, the event was designed by McNabb Roick Events and had an outdoor bar sponsored by Skyy. Cocktail tables were lit in the evening's signature hue.
Inside the venue, sleek decor stuck to a white-and-icy-blue color scheme.
Lifestyle and hospitality brand Nikki Beach once again hosted a pop-up lounge on the rooftop of the Spoke Club. The venue hosted a Sunday brunch and fashion shows for beachwear from several lines, including Kochon (pictured). Models held baby pigs as a cheeky nod to the brand's name.
Josh Wood Productions produced the September 8 gala at the Carlu. The evening, which was presented by M.A.C. Viva Glam, included a performance from Gossip.
NKPR hosted the IT Portrait lounge at its West Adelaide Street offices, and this year's theme was "Modern Vintage." Sponsors included Barilla, which sent in chefs to cook pasta dishes for the celebrity and V.I.P. guests. A rep for the lounge said that this year's sponsors all had a rich brand heritage; Barilla has been operating since 1877.
Avon provided makeup touch-ups at the lounge, which was decked in vintage-inspired, black-and-white decor.
This year, the Variety Studio was held at Holt Renfrew. Stars such as Jessica Chastain popped in to conduct on-camera interviews about their TIFF films, and the interviews were broadcast on the industry publication's Web site.
Presenting sponsor MoroccanOil showcased its products with hand massages. Susan Sarandon—and her canine companion—were among the guests.
Glo Communications hosted the Bask-It Style lounge in an $8 million penthouse on Harbor Street. Chique and Unique Home Staging gave the venue a "Rustic Luxe" look, and sponsors included Mary Kay. The makeup company displayed its limited-edition "Fairytales & Fantasy" collection in an area that held a solid-oak, 1800s church pew. A tall, reclaimed wood table was used as the makeup station.
Diesel's Food Truck for Change, produced by Spinradius Events, hit the streets of the greater Toronto area on September 5 to coincide with the film fest's opening. Targeting celebrities and influential festival attendees, the food truck doled out "croughnuts" in exchange for a donation to the charity OneXOne. The truck rolled around the city through September 8.
The Storys Building became the AMC Storys Building for the festival's run and hosted a slew of activations produced by Ink Entertainment and Icon Legacy Hospitality. In the AMC private lounge, banners advertised the channel's popular shows Mad Men and Breaking Bad.
