I am Canadian
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Image:I am plus flag.jpg I am Canadian was a popular series of Canadian television commercials aired in the 1990s and early 2000s advertising the Canadian brand of Molson beer in Canada; the commercials also aired in the United States.
The most famous commercial in the campaign first aired in April 2000. Using patriotism as a platform (or perhaps even jingoism depending on varying opinions [1]), the ad starred a man named Joe: an "average Canadian", standing in a theatre, with a cinema screen behind him showing different images relating to Canadian culture. Joe proceeded to give a speech about what is it to be a Canadian and what it is not to be a Canadian, making particular efforts to distinguish himself both from common Canadian stereotypes of Americans ("I believe in peacekeeping, not policing") and common American stereotypes of Canadians--or, at least, what many Canadians hold as common American stereotypes of Canadians ("I don't live in an igloo").
The advertising campaign was a huge success for Molson, stirring the often reserved patriotism of the Canadian public. It was performed by actor Jeff Douglas and directed by an American, Kevin Donovan. The commercial won an advertising industry Gold Quill award in 2001. Ironically, Douglas moved to Los Angeles after his career took off in the wake of the commercial's success.
Joe's speech goes like this:
- Hey.
- I'm not a lumberjack, or a fur trader, and I don't live in an igloo or eat blubber, or own a dog sled, and I don't know Jimmy, Sally or Suzy from Canada, although I'm certain they're really, really nice.
- I have a Prime Minister, not a President. I speak English and French, not American, and I pronounce it "about", not "aboot".
- I can proudly sew my country's flag on my backpack. I believe in peacekeeping, not policing; diversity, not assimilation; and that the beaver is a truly proud and noble animal.
- A tuque is a hat, a chesterfield is a couch, and it is pronounced "zed"; not "zee" – "zed"!
- Canada is the second largest land mass! The first nation of hockey! And the best part of North America!
- My name is Joe! And I am Canadian!
- ... Thank you.
During the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, a copycat ad was produced by Australian beer company Foster's Group to advertise Foster's Lager. It featured a similar speech playing upon various stereotypes about Australians.
In 2005, Molson announced that it was retiring the I am Canadian slogan; this happened shortly after its merger with U.S. brewer Coors. The company is now headquartered in Colorado and Montreal.
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Criticism
Though a huge success, the ad was criticized by some Canadians for different reasons. Most of Joe's speech concerns what he is not (a stereotypical American) rather than what he is. Rather than further pinning Canadian identity on comparisons to the United States, critics contended, Joe should have made an effort to establish his identity independently. Others suggested that since the primary purpose of the commercial is to sell a product to as much of the market as possible, Molson pandered to the basest Canadian attribute: anti-Americanism.
Parodies
The success of I am Canadian in Canada led to many parodies of the advertisement. The best known of these was Toronto radio station Edge 102's I Am Not Canadian, featuring a Quebec separatist. Several radio stations have produced provincial version in this vein. These include I am an Albertan, I am a British Columbian, and I am a Newfoundlander.
William Shatner, who is Canadian, performed his own variation on the idea in a Just for Laughs appearance. He announced to the world: "I am not a Starfleet commander, ...or T.J. Hooker." The rant continues, making fun of Trekkies and his own typecasting as James T. Kirk. During the course of the piece, Shatner states that his beer of preference is Molson's competitor Labatt.
Weasel, the lead character of I Am Weasel, parodied the advertisement in a promotional ad for the series' home, Cartoon Network. The ad proved itself to be popular enough to air on a similar Canadian outlet, Teletoon.
Trivia
This commercial premiered during the Academy Awards, which, in that year, included Robin Williams singing the song "Blame Canada," a satirical song from the movie South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut.