Canadian Advertising: Stories That Connect Us
Image source: Erik Mclean via Unsplash
'Made in Canada' has always been more than just a label. It’s a selling point. It signals quality, care, and craftsmanship, but there’s something deeper. It offers a sense of community. Of pride. Of shared connection. Canadian ads have a way of celebrating small, ordinary moments that somehow feel extraordinary.
Take Tim Hortons, for example, arguably the heartbeat of Canadian storytelling. Their ads go far beyond trying to sell you a coffee. They’re about connection. They show proud parents watching their child at an early morning practice. Timbits jerseys that have become a rite of passage for any Canadian kid getting into sports. Their message isn’t about caffeine, it’s about care. It’s early mornings, staying warm with a Tim’s drink in an ice-cold rink, and the shared rituals that bring us all together.
Then there’s President’s Choice, which managed to turn grocery shopping and frozen appetizers into a nationwide movement of togetherness. Their Eat Together campaign didn’t flash prices or highlight the quality of their ingredients; it featured people. Friends, co-workers, neighbours. Strangers sharing meals. A reminder to stop scrolling and sit down together.
Canadian Tire has long understood how to tug at Canadians’ heartstrings, too. Their tagline, We All Play for Canada, taps directly into the pride, excitement, and joy of Canadian sports. Whether it’s a child lacing up their skates for the first time or Olympians standing on the podium, their tone stays the same: humble, human, and unmistakably Canadian.
Most recently, Rogers has taken the spotlight with their Bring It Home campaign, showing up as proud owners of Canada’s team, the Toronto Blue Jays, during their World Series run. The ads weren’t trying to sell you a home or internet package; they were encouraging us to come together. Clips of fans in packed living rooms, babies in their first Blue Jays gear, and the genuine smiles of Canadians cheering for our team. And it worked. Game 7 became the most watched Rogers broadcast ever, the biggest Canadian broadcast in over 15 years, reaching 57% of Canadians and capturing nearly 70% of primetime TV share.
The key theme in the Rogers campaign - and in all of these ads - is that they remind us what it feels like to be part of something bigger than ourselves. They make us feel seen, not as consumers, but as Canadians. And that is the power of great storytelling.
