Benizens of the tv commercial industry who made the annual spring pilgrimage to The Bessies awards gala saw top spot accolades flow towards commercials in a more classical vein than last year’s down-and-dirty winning entries.

As usual, the day began at 10 a.m. with coffee-clutching ad-makers thronged in a subterranean theater lobby adjoining the Sheraton, the downtown Toronto hotel which hosts the show, prognosticating which spots on the ’93 menu would appeal to the judges’ palate. They were waiting to begin the day of commercial-viewing organized by the Television Bureau of Canada and the Broadcast Executives Society.

Following the international showcase reels screening, the multitude gathered for quick prelunch beverages and discourse on their favorites from the world’s best commercials. Thus revitalized, the assembled once again resumed seats to hear from guest speaker Donny Deutsch of u.s. agency of the year Deutsch Inc. Following lunch, the event they’d all been waiting for – the presentation of the ’94 Bessies. (A complete list of winners begins opposite.)

Last year the top Bessies were humorous local retail and automotive spots. This year’s top spots were more national in scope – alcoholic beverages, travel and government – and the spots justify the correspondingly higher price bracket.

‘Dreams,’ the Gold Bessie and Gold Government winner helmed by director/dop Michael Buckley, convincingly creates smoke-chill and is part of the visionary Tobacco Strategy pool which took the third-place Campaign Bessie.

The lush Silver Bessie/Gold Travel winner, ‘Passages,’ crowns the Tourism p