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Lorraine Tao and Elspeth Lynn are two of the founding partners of Zig, a Toronto-based advertising agency whose client list includes the likes of Molson, Ikea, Best Buy, Virgin Mobile and Unilever. The firm was behind last summer's ubiquitous Molson ads in which Daily Show correspondent Jason Jones is tied up and expelled from the country by angry Canucks when he expresses doubts about Canadians' devotion to beer.

Zig's ads have a fun, pop-feminist sensibility. In the early days, the partners' calling card was a piece of pro bono work: a television ad in which a horny teenager named Cam offers to examine women's breasts for them—if they're too lazy or ill-informed to do the cancer-screening exam themselves. "Put your breasts in my hands," he exhorts. ("We had to make sure he was cute, a little innocent, because otherwise it would have seemed creepy," Lynn says.)

In June, Zig won a gold medal at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival for its Blair Witch Project-style footage on the Internet promoting Scream TV, a cable channel specializing in horror programming.

And before the three partners left for home, their peers from around the globe had named the once-little Canadian shop the world's third-best media agency.

Tao and Lynn were to discuss how advertising is changing in this rapidly evolving digital era. They also tackled the subject of how you can create ads that stand out in an increasingly crowded and fragmented market. To join the conversation please click here . To read Alec Scott's case study analysis of Zig in the latest issue of Report on [Small] Business Magazine, please click here

Noel Hulsman, globeandmail.com writes: Lorraine and Elspeth, thank you so much for joining us today. We've got a number of questions waiting, so let's get to them

Newmarket NDPers from Taipei writes: The ZIG ad about the breast cancer check up pricked me into writing this. As a copywriter I feel stricter moral controls should be imposed upon advertisers. Don't get me wrong, I'm not an old nanny. In fact, I believe in abolishing most censorship and 'ratings' on film, writing and and other artistic work. But there's something repulsive in using sex to sell soap powder, cars, and beer. It's just too easy, and well with 'SEX', who dares to oppose it. And after you get to feeling boobs, what's next step... certainly the next corporate advertiser will pick up the cue and produce something even more outlandish to brandish social mores. As such ad creators should be restricted to a lot more control, while real artists should be free from almost all restrictions or guidelines.

Lorraine and Elspeth write: We totally agree that using "sex" to sell gratuitously is wrong. In the case of the ad you mention, we weren't actually selling anything, we were informing women about the health of their breasts, so actually showing breasts in that context seems totally logical. More importantly, anybody viewing the self-examination demonstration had to choose to go to a website to see it. We believe in the individual's right to to choose what they look at and what they don't.

No Chem from Toronto writes: Our companies competitors are some of the largest in the world. We have spent five years in the regulatory system of Health Canada to prove our products worth, being natural, whereas our competitors are synthetic/chemical. What are your suggestions in getting our product initially known using limited resources for year 1. We just got a quote from a targeted audience national magazine for a repeated run and almost choked.

Lorraine and Elspeth write: The great thing about the web is that if you really do have a product that people think is "better", people will talk about it. You just have to find the places on the web where the people who care about your product hang out. Or try email marketing—it can be very cheap and have a good ROI.

Ingles Stewart from Toronto writes: I am in the product business, have always stayed away from big firms as most of the brands we represent are small and the budgets are tight? Is it possible to deal with firm like zig economically. i have one of the hottest new entries to the energy drink market and we are looking for an edge.

Lorraine and Elspeth write: In this day and age, there can be a lot flexibility in the way contracts between agencies and their clients are structured. We're part of MDC Partners, a group of like-minded agencies, and there are partners within our group who have taken equity stakes in client businesses rather than big fees. And royalty structures are another option. If the agency believes in the client and the product, lots of things are possible.

We are Spirits in the Material World from Canada writes: I often wonder if any studies have been done on the effectiveness/lifespan of ads? Even the best ad begins to aggravate with over exposure. Beer commercials are some of the worst offenders. They continue to screen ads way beyond where they are effective and well into the annoying range. The benefits and 'currency' they develop are squandered and they may even lose some ground in the end. Why don't any of the 'street wise' people in this industry seem to see this happening?

Lorraine and Elspeth write: "Wear out" is a very real concern when creating advertising that receives repeated exposures. We actually have research techniques that we use to help us predict when an ad will wear out, and confirm that it has. That said, in this world of pvr's and other means of viewer control, we always try to create ads that consumers will love, because they wear out way more slowly. But every ad will wear out eventually. Sometimes it catches us and our clients by surprise when it happens faster than we had planned, and we're simply not ready with the next ad as a replacement yet. We obviously try to avoid that.

Jeff Canadian from Toronto writes: Hi Lorraine and Elspeth, I'm a young art director who has just opened up an ad shop, Method Communications (themethod.ca, shameless plug on the G[AMP;]M, I know) with my creative partner. We are only 6 months old and are looking for advice on how to attract and land clients. We have a roster of startups and small businesses, but are looking to grow from larger accounts. We are starting by picking up pro bono accounts (from the advice given to us by GB Roche), but want to know some tricks of the trade to get in front of our targeted clients, youth marketers. Any thoughts?

Lorraine and Elspeth write: Pick the prospect you're after, learn about their business, then offer to do a project for them. At the same time write articles, create a blog, get covered.

J Law from Canada writes: This is small time stuff, but I am curious about this 'getting the message out thing.' I listened to a young singer in a coffee shop this summer. He was a wonderful singer, but there were only about six of us there listening. The next morning I was back at the coffee shop and the singer was there talking to the owner. He was saying how disappointed he was in the turn out. I understand he sent a promo to the local paper, but it was ignored. He put up his posters around town, but that only brought in the six of us. I could see he was disappointed and at a loss to understand how to promote himself. I understand in this world that in order to become a big star you have to taken in by the big entertainment corporations or shown favour by big media, but how do small time talent make an impact that will bring in a bigger audience?

Lorraine and Elspeth write: One word: YouTube.

A Lee from Canada writes: To help small clients get their message out, agencies are doing more and more PR, stunts, online or guerrilla marketing. Can you give a few examples? Is there any ideas out there that you wish you had done it?

Lorraine and Elspeth write: We're happy to say that many clients, including big ones, are open to non-traditional solutions these days. A great team at our place did something for Scream TV that won a gold lion at Cannes this year. You can watch a video of the whole campaign at www.zigideas.com/screamtv . Another team did a series of stunts for IKEA earlier this year to promote their mattresses. We arranged for people all over the city to 'fall asleep' wearing a sign that read: "I'd sleep better at night if I had an IKEA mattress."

There are many we admire from around the world. Axe 3 from Argentina, Nike North vs. South Run London, Counterfeit Mini from the US, and Audi Heist from the US. We also really admire the Truth anti-smoking campaign from the US — their TV campaign was actually a series of stunts captured on film.

Michael Turcot from Canmore writes: What strategies are you finding most successful in new media like web and mobile? How are you leveraging social networking sites and Google Ads?

Lorraine and Elspeth write: With the "new" (not so much anymore) media, the secret is clearly engagement. Find things about your product or service that people can be passionate about and want to participate in, and then enable their ability to "play".

Albin Forone from Toronto writes: From the lead you two seem pretty daring, well then, what do you think of the Olympics mascots? I think they look like the friendly generic critters you'd find wandering among power cables and candy cone handles at any parking lot carnival, mashed up because Olympics marketers think 'something like that' had to be. Kids would have something to remember rather than forget if it were Big Bird or Tinky Winky in a five-ring tank top.

Lorraine and Elspeth write: We actually thought they were a nice unexpected, modern approach to the idea of mascots. We really like the back- stories that were created for each of the characters that try to capture some of the magic of Vancouver and its people. We like that they're not just superficial images. Success will all depend on how they're used.

Brett T from Toronto writes: First of all I would like ot congratulate you both on your fine success! What advice would you give someone wanting to enter the industry? In particular, what education and job path would you recommend?

Lorraine and Elspeth write: Thank you! It really depends on what you want to do within the industry.

A broad arts education is a good start, because good advertising people are first and foremost aware of the world around them and how it got to be this way. We think an interest in psychology is helpful in this business. After that, you'll probably need some specialty education. If you want to enter the creative side, many of the Art Directors get their training from OCAD and many of the Copywriters these days come from Humber. For the strategy/business side of advertising, there's no substitute for business school.

There are also some great school programs specializing in communications, including several ad schools in the US and the new Degree in Marketing Communication at Wilfrid Laurier.

In general, if you have a sense of optimism, determination and a love of ideas, you'll have a leg up.

Saifu Mawji from Milton, Canada writes: As a manufacturer of Highway Truck semi-trailers in Canada, faced with the perfect storm of high Canadian dollar, world steel prices and predative pricing from besiged U.S. producers, what innovative marketing campaign would you propose? to gain an advantage over the Canadian and U.S. producers?

Lorraine and Elspeth write: Sorry Saifu, what we do may look easy at times, but there'd be a lot of work required for us to answer your question. And a marketing "campaign" isn't always the answer. The answer may lie in a product improvement or a manufacturing innovation.

Noel Hulsman, globeandmail.com writes: That's our hour. Lorraine and Elspeth, thanks again for joining us today. We really appreciate your time. Cheers.