Ryan Gosling and a Cardboard Cutout at Grinder on Gerrard in Leslieville, Ontario

While it may not have been a complete surprise that Ryan Gosling showed up at Grinder on Gerrard in Leslieville during the Toronto International Film Festival last week, the fact that the actor made an appearance was certainly a pleasant surprise. Owner Joelle Murray jumped on the opportunity to make a name for herself in the competitive world of coffee brewing. She is an aficionado of caffeine and coffee culture, and has been making the rounds in the Twittersphere to promote her wares. The Toronto mayor, John Tory, also took a chance to tweet about the campaign in his latest tweetbook.

To celebrate their collaboration, Murray and her staff were not shy about using their social media channels to showcase their new sexiest mug in the latest gimmicks. Aside from announcing that they were putting a hefty dent in the competition, Murray also made the most of the influx of publicity by posing for pictures with a life-size cardboard version of Gosling. Besides the requisite selfie, the life-size cutout posed for the aforementioned sexiest mug while the rest of her squad sipped on craft beer, cocktails and fine wines.

As if that weren’t enough, Murray and her team also put the pedal to the metal by launching a campaign to reward the best and brightest mug winners with a free coffee for life. The campaign was a bit of a hoot and a half, with Murray posting a picture of her mug and a cutout map of the cafe’s location on Twitter, and even getting a tweet back from the aforementioned mug winner, Gosling. It was a high-flying campaign that spanned several months, and included an obscene number of high-profile stars. But the most entertaining aspect of all was the chemistry between the actors. Not only did Gosling appear in a handful of photos, he was a fervent fan of the brew, as well. In addition to a free cup of joe for life, the aforementioned mug winner also got a special mention in the aforementioned gimmicks book.

Although this was no doubt a roustabout, it was also the longest campaign in the history of Grinder on Gerrard, and it remains to be seen whether Gosling will make a return visit to the fabled Leslieville institution. Whether or not the star-studded cast will make another appearance, the aforementioned perks are sure to go down a treat with the regulars. With its location a stone’s throw from the Leslieville subway, the fabled spot is the perfect starting point for a long-weekend excursion. Of course, if you’re still not ready for the real deal, you could always pop by Grinder on Gerrard and take a cue from the aforementioned mug winner. That’s a tall order, however, and the aforementioned mug winner and the aforementioned mug winners will have to wait a little longer.