Toronto-based John St. returns to the AOY podium this year with an Honourable Mention. Judges singled out Auto Trader as a favourite: "Simple stuff, and laugh-out-loud funny," said Frito Lay Canada VP marketing Tony Matta. "No consumer will have to guess at the key message, and the humour is right in your face."

STANFIELD'S

A traditional Canadian brand with 150 years of history, Stanfield's needed some credibility in a world of fashionable competitors like Joe Boxer, Calvin Klein, DEX and Tommy Hilfiger.

For more urban, fashionable, image-conscious males, this century-old image was a liability. But John St. found a significant group of young men for whom that unfussy, no-nonsense image could be seen as a positive. So where most underwear brands feature models wearing nothing but their briefs, John St. presented a world of fully dressed men.

The idea was simple: you don't have to see them to know who's wearing them. Two TV spots, "Guys Night Out" and "Exercise Ball," ran during NFL football and sports highlight shows like Sportsnet, SportsCentre and The Score last fall. During the winter, another spot, "Meat Locker," was added to the rotation to promote the garments' thermal qualities.

Research done in December 2007 showed spikes in overall awareness, brand recall (both unaided and aided) and intent to purchase. The campaign garnered significant attention domestically and was shortlisted at the One Show and Cannes.

MICHELINA'S

The challenge: revitalize a brand on a five-year sales slide whose only real equity was a cheesy pop song, "The Macarena."

Michelina's target, the post-university/college male, is not interested in ingredients or health. As one guy said in research, "I want to eat. I don't want to cook."

So John St. gave him a cook: a thick-accented Italian mama. "Let Mama Feed You" was a multimedia campaign that introduced Mama in two TV spots: "The Wall" and "Takedown."

Concurrently, John St. launched a Facebook profile page where the target could check out photo albums of Mama at a bachelorette party, an improv class and an impromptu foosball championship. Mama's 700+ friends were invited to play online games, respond to discussion topics and watch her vlog rants about recording Oprah on her PVR and why pop starlets refuse to wear underwear.

Mama was parodied on Royal Canadian Air Farce and featured on Breakfast Television, and made Top Favourites on YouTube. The campaign has gone global, and Michelina's has put "Let Mama Feed You" on its packaging in the U.S. Tracking indicates that Mama is well on her way to burying the "Macarena" legacy for good: in three months, "Mama" beats "Macarena" mentions among those who recall Michelina's advertising.

THE BAY

Traditionally, the Bay's Fall Bedroom Event was used to sell bedding and mattresses. But the retailer wanted to cross-promote other products by looking at the bedroom as a place to do everything but sleep. "Get in Bed" incorporated traditional media (TV and radio), exterior design, direct mail and in-store installations that showed how sexy a bedroom could be.