I Am Canadian
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.
Joe Canadian
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 movie theatre, with a cinema screen behind him showing different images relating to Canadian culture. Joe proceeds 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.
During the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, New South Wales, 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.
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.
Parodies
The success of I am Canadian in Canada led to many parodies of the advertisement. Several radio stations have produced provincial variations on the theme. These include I am an Albertan, I am a British Columbian, I am a Newfoundlander, and I Am Not Canadian, the last of which focused on a Quebec separatist.
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.
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.
During the 2002 Swiss National Exposition, the Swiss National Bank pavilion featured an "Ich Bin Schweizer" adaptation of the ad, using stereotypes held by Germans about the Swiss.
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.
I know this place is where I am
Another ad in the "I am Canadian" series. This ad came after the "Joe Canadian" ad and features several famous features of Canadian history and culture including the pounding of the last spike. At the end of the ad "Joe" appears.
Lyrics
I know this place is where I am
No other place is better than
No matter where I go I am
Proud to be Canadian
I am. You know I am.
I am Canadian.
I am. You know I am.
I am Canadian.
I love this country where I am
This land is where I make my stand
Y’a Pas un Coeur Qui est (No other heart is)
Truer than (comme celui-là)
The one we call Canadian.
I am. You know I am.
I am Canadian.
I am. You know I am.
I am Canadian.
I AM CANADIAN!!!!!