I've just seen a traumatic advert

[WOM]

I am watching the World Junior Ice Hockey championships on ESPN+, which is using a Canadian feed with Canadian adverts.

It is interesting to see how they differ from USian adverts for similar content.

Many fewer ads for cars, trucks and insurance

No prescription drug advertising

New Iphone ads focussed on the warmth of the cellular provider rather than envy, FOMO and/or the quality of the camera

Ethnically diverse ads feature South Asians rather than Latinos

A greater sense of "we are all in this together" then we get down here, whether it be weather, road safety or amateur ice hockey

These are interesting observations. We obviously see all the US stuff frequently, but I don't hear about it much from the other side.

The weirdest ones for us are the family cellular plan ads. That just isn't a thing here. "You get 4 phones, unlimited minutes, <this thing free>, <that thing free>, all for $59 a month with no contract."

We're like 'what the actual fuck?'

Also "Rumfemerol may cause headaches, diarrhea, vomiting, anal leakage, jittery hands, blurry vision, loss of appetite. Do not use Rumfemerol if you've had an allergic reaction to Rumfemerol..."

[Ginger Yellow]

Are Canadian ads as aggressive as US ads? One of the things that always strikes me about US ads for cars and such is how they shit on the competition directly and by name, which is a big no-no in the UK.

[WOM]

Are Canadian ads as aggressive as US ads? One of the things that always strikes me about US ads for cars and such is how they shit on the competition directly and by name, which is a big no-no in the UK.

Not in the least. Not even between parity phone providers or parity banks. You just...don't mention the other guy.

We have a toilet paper ad that mentions 'the other guys', but nobody is really sure who they're talking about.

[WOM]

When ING Direct came here, their spokesguy was uncharacteristically aggressive Dutch actor and he used to say "Your bank wants you to save with them, but they pay almost no interest". Which was true...but now it was some foreign upstart saying it...and it worked.

But then they got bought by one of the Canadian Big 5 banks and that whole thing just went away.

[ursus arctos]

ING Direct actually started in Canada. They were quite the thing in the aughts.

The entire framework for cell phone plans can differ quite dramatically across borders, which was a challenge for us each time we changed countries.

[WOM]

I was all-in with them for a long time because their rates were so much better, and then I got into their Streetwise Funds.

[3 Colours Red]

Also responsible for one of the ugliest F1 liveries ever:

[Hot Pepsi]

I am watching the World Junior Ice Hockey championships on ESPN+, which is using a Canadian feed with Canadian adverts.

It is interesting to see how they differ from USian adverts for similar content.

Many fewer ads for cars, trucks and insurance

No prescription drug advertising

New Iphone ads focussed on the warmth of the cellular provider rather than envy, FOMO and/or the quality of the camera

Ethnically diverse ads feature South Asians rather than Latinos

A greater sense of "we are all in this together" then we get down here, whether it be weather, road safety or amateur ice hockey

In the past, the NHL package would show the local ads. ESPN+ doesn't do that for whatever reason.

I recall there were a fair number of car and truck ads, but I don't recall any manic local car-dealer ads inviting me to come on down and score a hattrick of savings, etc.

I don't recall there being any local furniture store or mattress ads. Why are there so many mattress store ads?

There used to be ads for some off-shoot of Circuit City that resembled Radio Shack. I think I bought a charger in one of those in Toronto. I don't recall what it was called. Anyway, both Radio Shack and Circuit City are gone, so whatever that was called is gone.*

I get the feeling that Canadians are being ripped off on mobile phone plans, internet, and cable.

Not so many ads about bundling home and auto insurance. Is that not a thing in Canada? The prevalence of those ads during football is astounding.

There are a lot of ads that try to attach the brand to an idealized image of white rural Canada - Tim Hortons, Canadian Tire, etc. That may be more of a hockey-specific approach rather than all of Canada all the time.

Ads for restaurant chains named for places in the US that don't have any franchises in the US.

*In the US too, it just feels like there aren't as many ads for consumer electronics - other than mobile devices - as there used to be. As we saw in many of those old ads on the Advent Advert thread, there used to be a ton of different shops like that, regional and national. Now it's pretty much just Amazon and Best Buy.

[WOM]

I don't recall there being any local furniture store or mattress ads. Why are there so many mattress store ads?

This is a whole topic. See 'Mattress Firm'. It's like a cabal.

There used to be ads for some off-shoot of Circuit City that resembled Radio Shack. I think I bought a charger in one of those in Toronto. I don't recall what it was called. Anyway, both Radio Shack and Circuit City are gone, so whatever that was called is gone.*

The Source. I think it's officially The Source by Circuit City

I get the feeling that Canadians are being ripped off on mobile phone plans, internet, and cable.

100%. And we know it.

Not so many ads about bundling home and auto insurance. Is that not a thing in Canada?

It is, but we don't move shit around much. Better the devil you know, etc.

There are a lot of ads that try to attach the brand to an idealized image of white rural Canada - Tim Hortons, Canadian Tire, etc. That may be more of a hockey-specific approach rather than all of Canada all the time.

Yup. This is a big one. Also 'new Canadian finding their place' is a recurring theme. So, 'Asian kid playing hockey'.

Ads for restaurant chains named for places in the US that don't have any franchises in the US.

Right, because of the perception that the US does roadside food better than we do. Montana's, Boston Pizza, Baton Rouge, etc. Even Kelsey's is just TGIFridays under a different name.

[Lymeswold Snork]

Just saw someone with an extra mouth in their forehead which they had to stuff with chewing-gum to get it to stop talking. I hope it's no more than three days before that's banned or withdrawn.

[Jah Womble]

I hope you're still talking about an advert.

[3 Colours Red]

Someone singing "My Yakult" to the tune of Dragostea Din Tei... only about 20 years too late to ride that train.

[Levin]

Crimpit Wrap

The advert starts by asking if you like wraps but then goes straight into advertising a pasty maker. But one that uses 'wraps*' rather than pastry.

It's just incongruous, it's very tech inventing something that existed before.

*I didn't get what the difference is, in the UK, between a flour tortilla and a wrap.

[Jah Womble]

The flour tortilla is the bread, the wrap is what you make with it, innit?

[ursus arctos]

Over here, larger, thinner (and sometimes flavoured) flour tortillas are increasingly sold as "wraps" on their own

https://www.missionfoods.com/products/wraps/

[Jah Womble]

Fair enough. But that assumes a lot about what you plan to do with them.

A bit like calling a loaf of bread ‘sandwich slices’.

[slackster]

Oh, I’ve just used Mission Wraps for my lunch: fishfingers, salad leaves with a bit of mayo and ketchup. First time I’ve had that brand of tortilla.

[San Bernardhinault]

I would agree with Ursus on the scant distinction. A wrap is both the "sandwich" (yeah, I know) and the medium for the sandwich, here. And the "bread" is mostly similar to the tortilla you'd use on a burrito, but made to be pliable without heating, I guess, and therefore a bit less interesting.

[ursus arctos]

Fair enough. But that assumes a lot about what you plan to do with them.

A bit like calling a loaf of bread ‘sandwich slices’.

The whole idea is to convince punters that they need to buy both "tortillas" and "wraps"

[Jah Womble]

Oh, no doubt.

[Toby Gymshorts]

I can only assume that Jamie Redknapp's dad's dog is looking after his financial affairs, given that he's currently shilling terrible Skechers shoes.

[3 Colours Red]

Surely he's exactly the target market though - a 50-year-old divorced dad who still thinks he's "down with the kids".

[Jah Womble]

Indeed. It's exactly the kind of thing for which Redknapp Jr would have his people sign him up.

[Benjm]

I believe in Jamie here but was not convinced when the tube was plastered with Skechers ads featuring Christina Aguilera some years ago.

[Sam]

I have no idea what these ads look like (well, I can sort of guess what a Skechers poster with Jamie Redknapp on it might look like, I suppose), but what a lovely full circle this thread has now come that he'd popped up on it again.