Canadians figured out a great way for Americans to notice them: tell them they're great.
The Garden Collective released a compilation of videos from actual Canadians explaining why the United States is already great.
Giving over $250 billion in charity. The national park system. Inventing the Internet. Diversity and openness. Disability rights movement. Jazz music. Bluegrass music. R&B music. Dream big. Land of opportunity.
All of these topics and more can be found in the video that is floating around. The individual videos are longer and are much more specific about their stories and why they love the United States. Click here to see the individual videos.
"The U.S is not perfect. Certainly one of Canadians' favourite pastimes is to point that out," said Shane Ogilvie, co-founder of The Garden Collective, the Toronto-based creative agency behind the campaign (as reported by CBC News).
"But we really feel when it comes down to it, they're still a pretty great nation with a lot of great things to offer and with so much negativity out there, it's a good time to remind them of that so that as they go into the election they may feel a little buoyed."
The outside perspective — not to toot our own horn — helps you appreciate the good qualities. We hear about the "ugly American" but that passion and spirit is admired and appreciated.
American music. A U.S. tax policy that encourages charitable giving. The Internet, where you are reading this article. All true but not things Americans think about on a daily basis.
This comes across well because Canadians pay attention to the United States.
The message behind the message is about the upcoming U.S. election and the Donald Trump message "Make American Great Again." These Canadians know that America is already great.
The conversation is far from over. The Garden Collective wants more videos from Canadians. The discussion is also there through #tellamericaitsgreat and on Twitter @staygr8america.
And if you do decide to move to Canada because of the election, there are a number of Canadians who will appreciate the place where you used to live.
video and photo credit: The Garden Collective
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