Remember when Canada was horribly racist?

Via Buzzfeed

This poster promoting the Canadian Patriotic Fund, a World War One fundraising effort to help support wives and dependents of Canadian soldiers, is pretty damn offensive by today's standards.

But, almost a century later, we still have a long way to go:

Violations of the basic human rights of Canada's Aboriginal people is still a "Priority Concern" for Amnesty International, and you don't have to look far to see examples of how our country's first populations are still treated like second class citizens.

Sad.

F'd Ad Fridays: Young Lions — unleash your... creativity?

Oh, that is some really unfortunate art direction right there. Especially for "Canada’s official representative for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity."

Via Black Bag Career Central

Now, that's a reach...

Usually, this is a criticism of someone's really obscure creative rationale for a pet idea that doesn't work. In this case, though, I meant it literally.

These "prop" versions are cool gimmicks, but you have to wonder how long the extensions will last on the streets of Toronto. (If the vandals don't get 'em, the snow probably will.)

What I like even better are the diptych and triptych versions. What can I say? I'm a sucker for any social campaign that takes the piss out of consumer advertising.





Inspired? Give to the Salvation Army here.

By Grey Canada, via Ads of The World.

It's Summer! Woo-Hoo!

Summer begins today, and it's the Monday of the last week of school, so let's just kick back and look forward to the weekend with these radio spots from Calypso — Canada's Biggest Theme Waterpark:







The spots were written by our own Mel Lyon, and produced at Studio Lamajeure in Montreal. Hope you liked them as much as my son does. See you at the park!