Hello from Toronto. . .

UPS's "brown" branding applies even to the uniforms, socks and shoes worn by its pilots, I discovered when I spotted a UPS pilot one row over on my flight from Toronto yesterday. Pilots aren't usually seen by UPS customers, but the company puts them in brown anyway--great touch.

Watching SkateCanada on Canadian TV, I saw a quick BMO (Bank of Montreal) commercial geared specifically to skating fans: a BMO credit card "skates" across the ice, spelling out "Tokyo" (which is where the World Figure Skating Championships will be held in 2007). The ad invited viewers to check the BMO web site for a chance to win a trip to the Championships. This is a wonderful way to involve viewers who care about the program in which the ad is embedded.

BMO does something else interesting: Its web site includes a "Newcomers" guide to settling in different areas of the country. Not only is this public-spirited, it gives immigrants a very positive view of the bank just at a time when they're likely to need financial services.