A Canadian perspective from “I have an Idea”:

“In  your opinion, what are the 10 best cities in the world for cutting edge advertising?

Some cities become known for consistently great work, but if you look closer it's often a matter of a few great agencies putting those markets on the map. Places you'll notice for great work, in no particular order, include Cape town and Johannesburg, South Africa; London (duh), New York (duh), Mumbai, India; Amsterdam, Buenos Aires, Bangkok, Paris and San Francisco (considering Goodby Silverstein & Partners single-handedly cleans up year after year). After this top 10 we'll add Chicago and Canada's Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal: last year our little country was short listed at Cannes more than any other country, after perennial winners U.S. and U.K. That's a shocker for anyone who remembers Canadian work from not so long ago: it pretty much sucked. The past 5 or 6 years the small ad community here has really turned a corner.There are many, many more cities worth looking into. No doubt the hastily assembled list above is guilty of several glaring omissions. Is it a plus to try to start out in a city known for a great ad community? Sure. But remember you can find wonderful agencies on their lonesome shining in an otherwise dead town. We can't think of any agency of note in Miami but one, for instance. You've probably heard of Crispin Porter Bogusky, the most heavily awarded agency in the world today. Powerhouse Fallon in Minneapolis has stood alone-ish for over 20 years (but then you have to live in Minneapolis. The dead of winter has sent many packing). Opportunity lurks in some really unlikely places, too. Why not start your search in a place you'd love to live in (you'll have a life outside the agency, hopefully). Most really desirable cities have at least a few good shops, exactly because people want to live there.”