You only live twice. The world is not enough. Never say never again.
They sound like quasi-motivational quotes you’d find splashed on the wall in a funky agency, but they’re also James Bond films.
And Bond is at the centre of this year’s AdBall theme: Shaken & Stirred. The gala takes place at Maison in Toronto on Jan. 26. The event will bring a little Monte Carlo to Toronto, and is part of Advertising Week, which runs from Jan. 23 to 27.
The third annual fundraiser will raise money for Ad Women of Toronto, an initiative of the Institute of Communication Agencies that educates women in the marketing communications industry and offers a mentorship program to help inspire future leaders.
The Shaken & Stirred theme will be featured throughout the AdBall gala: martinis will be served, as well as food from hot spots such as The Sultan’s Tent and Kiwi.
Plus, the crowd of more than 600 will be able to play Red Hot Poker’s blackjack and poker at the event’s own “Casino Royale.” There’ll also be a fashion show in which industry head honchos will trade marketing for modeling for a night as they strut their stuff on a catwalk in clothes from Gotstyle.
Attendees are also encouraged to wear their finest 60s, Mod-style outfits. “AdBall loves a good theme,” said Laura Serra, Narrative PR’s account supervisor, lifestyle brands. “Last year, we did Va-Va-Vintage which brought out beautiful costumes from bygone eras. We wanted to up the ante this year with a theme that was fun and would bring out equally good costumes. We loved the idea of James Bond; it’s sexy and iconic with lots of imagery and cues from vintage Bond in the 60s.”
Narrative PR is handling PR for the event and has been building buzz with invites (pictured) that include a playing card. Invitees were asked to tweet which card they got in their invite package with the #AdBallPoker hashtag to try and find their royal flush amongst fellow media peers (dozens have done so so far).
Rogers and Scotiabank are the event’s main sponsors. For more information, and to order tickets, visit Advertising Week’s website.
