Creatives can be passionate. Often that passion goes is used to create passion in audience for brands. Sometimes creatives’ passion even mirrors that brand’s actual passion. Every now and then it spurs creatives to get together and to create passions in audiences – because they care deeply. An anonymous collective of Canadian creatives and adpeople has thrown their passion into a rallying cry for Canada. At least one of them had some background advertising knowledge. 25 years ago, Molson Canadian beer features a character known as Joe Canadian (real name, Jeff Douglas) in a “rant” that dispelled common misconceptions about Canada. Joe Canadian’s closing words were, “My name is Joe! And I am Canadian!”. The declaration became a rallying cry that embedded itself in Canadian culture.

Of course, the idea was to sell Canadian beer. The collective has found Joe Canadian and given him another urgent purpose. Joe Canadian’s new “rant” is to sell Canada’s independence from the US following Trump’s proposing 25% tariffs on Canadian imports. To keep Canadian spirits and Canada’s defiance riding high.

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Its combination of unrestrained fervour and balanced humour reminds Canadians of their strength in adversity. “We are the first to unite in the crisis, the first to build bridges – not walls – and the first to stand on guard for thee.”

There is also a pun on the national dish, poutine, and Putin; notes about the Canadian national character (modest nor meek, kind not consenting); and reminders that Canada is the creator of global passions – peanut butter, ketchup chips and yoga pants.   

The campaign helps Canadians to withstand, or even support, Trudeau’s retaliatory 25% tariffs on 30 billion Canadian dollars (US$29bn) worth of American goods (with more to come). American alcohol was removed immediately from many store shelves and Canadians began boycotting US goods in some supermarkets, after the maple leaf symbol was added to price-tags on Canadian goods.