‘We are not the 51st anything': viral Canada ad gets Trump-inspired update
For the second time in 25 years, a lone figure takes to the stage, an oversized maple leaf flag rippling on a screen behind him as he approaches the microphone.
His hair is perhaps a little greyer but the message remains the same: Canada will not cower to the United States.
'They mistake our modesty for meekness, our kindness for consent, our nation for another star on their flag and our love of a hot cheesy poutine with their love of a hot cheesy Putin,' says the man.
'This is the birthplace of peanut butter and ketchup chips and yoga pants. It is the land of Universal Health Care and the bench-clearing brawl, of innovation and optimism and gettin' er done….
'Are we perfect? No. But we are not the 51st anything.'
Replete with orchestral swells and chest-thumping patriotism, is a remake of the famous 2000 advert for Molson Canadian beer.
It features an increasingly enthusiastic 'Joe Canadian' working his way through a catalogue of national stereotypes, passing from diffidence to defiance before the original's climactic cry: 'Canada is the second largest landmass! The first nation of hockey! And the best part of North America! My name is Joe! And I am Canadian!'
When it first came out, the spot struck a nerve and entered the pantheon of Canadian popular culture.
And it has seen a revival since Donald Trump starting threatening Canada's sovereignty. The US president's suggestion that the country might become the 51st US state has provoked a wave of patriotic fervour .
On Wednesday, fans got a long-anticipated update.
Jeff Douglas, the video's star, said the new version was produced by an anonymous collective of Canadian creatives and advertising professionals.
'These are professionals who typically are competitors, coming together, offering what they have, for a common goal … No logos, no brands … the client for this one is Canada.'
The new video cycles through images of famous Canadians, including Terry Fox and Gordon Lightfoot, and the Canadian response to catastrophe.
'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,' Douglas says in the clip, a reference to Canada's national anthem.
For Douglas, years between the two videos have seen reflection on the nature of patriotism and the unifying threads of Canada's shared – and often dark – past.
'Our history, as we were taught, was put together so we would feel good about ourselves and that we're a force for good in the world. I still think we are a force for good in this world. But certainly, the past 25 years have revealed how we haven't always done good things. We've done some really bad things,' he told the Guardian.
After Trump announced 25% taxes on Canadian goods earlier this week, Canada has responded with disbelief, outage and defiance.
With the new video, Douglas says the job was simple: 'We humbly hope it may be something that can help boost Canadian spirits.'
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