Gord Miller and Cassie Campbell-Pascall would rank high on a list of Canadian hockey announcers to hang out off the ice. Seeing the two of them in the same Sobey's/Safeway ad was an absolute treat. They aren't on screen at the same time and they work for rival outlets.
In the ad, Campbell-Pascall is shopping to try and increase her chances of winning. By doing the ad, she would be ineligible to win any prizes.
The two look a little out of place doing an ad such as this but that awkwardness helps the ad be more believable.
For those who might be familiar with Safeway in the United States, the Canadian version used to be associated with the American company. Sobey's acquired the Canadian version in 2013.
A good Canadian ad grabs your attention so you almost forget the sponsor. This Fountain Tire ad is more about friendship and dependability. The friendship between the young women is intense and crucial. Fountain Tire promises to help when the other friend can't. The clincher is that the ad bleeps out what is likely the longer version of the f-word. Not too many U.S. ads can make that claim.
With such high loyalty levels for Tim Hortons and rewards programs being bountiful on both sides of the border, putting Tim Hortons and rewards together asks why this didn't happen sooner. This commercial does a nicer job of portraying the mentality that goes into Tim Hortons as well. I might even get a rewards card next time I'm on the Canadian side.
Selling liquor on television is a relatively new concept in the United States. The straightforward approach is traditional in this product category. The Canadian Club whisky takes us to a world where men suddenly declare they are tired of beer. The alternative still needs to contain alcohol, apparently. The bartender comes up with a mixed drink featuring Canadian Club whisky. (The drink is 1.5 oz. of Canadian Club with ginger ale and lime.)
The ad uses the traits of a beer commercial to convince us not to drink beer.
Jon Hamm is back with more from Skip the Dishes. No mention of Canada or poutine in this version. Hamm pretends he has a smart house while his assistant magically opens curtains, sprays lavender mist, or takes his food order.
Still funny that Hamm has to go to Canada to do a whimsical ad.
We know McDonald's ads in Canada have a completely different mindset than U.S. ads. The sustainability ad is fascinating and puzzling at the same time. Is McDonald's beef grass-fed or grass-finished? The ad implies that the cows eat grass and aren't trapped in pens.
The key is "sustainable beef." Is that a buzzword or actual reality? There is a dance around this. The ad looks great; the hope is that the reality is reflected by the ad.
Scotiabank has done a lot for promoting kids and hockey in its commercials. The latest is a bunch of kids playing on what are clearly the islands south of Toronto's downtown. The ads have also been good on promoting boys and girls playing hockey. (Full disclosure: I have a Scotiabank account though I don't earn interest.)
Ace boulangerie/bakery grew out of Toronto but their products can be found in Canada and the United States. These ads seemed pretty cool. You don't see that much attention in Canadian food ads about the quality, so the Ace ads were a nice change of pace.
CanadianCrossing.com advertising coverage
The collection of Canadian ads comes via the NHL Center Ice free preview of Canadian feeds from March 28-April 4. The MLB Extra Innings free preview runs at the same time, but no ads from Toronto Blue Jays games made the list. All of our ads are available on our YouTube channel.
videos credit: noted companies and organisations
photo credit: Sobey's/Safeay
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