As we’ve seen in the early stages of the NCAA’s March Madness, there’s enough unpredictability in single-knockout tournaments to make even the most proficient pundit question a career in prognostication.
And while the quality of the competition ensured that there were no real jaw-dropping upsets in the first round of the Campaign Cup—or, as we’ve been calling it, March M(ad)ness—there were still a few results that left us contemplatively stroking our chin.
(To bring it back to basketball for a second, Alonzo Mourning’s famous sideline reaction feels like a pretty good encapsulation of how we viewed some of the first-round results.)
But the opening round is now behind us, and it’s time to stop eulogizing those campaigns that fell at the first hurdle, and instead look ahead to those that made it into the “Sweet Sixteen” and are still competing for the title of Greatest Canadian Ad of the 21st Century.
If you want to jump right to the voting, you can do that here.
Let the light shine
Which idea do you prefer: Bringing light to the foreboding Arctic darkness, or to the drudgery of cleaning the tub? “Prison Visitor” emerged victorious over “Cam’s Breast Exam” in the battle of the Zig campaigns, and the pre-tournament betting line had it as a dark horse candidate to win it all. But there’s something wonderfully heartfelt about “Arctic Sun” that is a distillation of Tropicana’s promise of sunshine in a bottle.
The heartstrings matchup
Both “Runner 321” for Adidas, and “Unapologetically Human” for Kruger Paper Products are visceral portraits of humanity—the beauty of determination in pursuit of a goal, and the sometimes messy moments that follow failure and heartache. “Runner 321” is a great example of a brand genuinely leaning into purpose with a strong insight that is tied to a longstanding brand commitment to diversity and representations. “Unapologetically Human,” meanwhile, was a notable departure from category norms in a consumer segment that doesn’t typically appeal to emotion.
Most Intriguing Matchup, Pt. 1
Hoo, boy, this is a toughie! “Start the Car” was a funny, memorable and wonderfully acted spot that garnered several nods to advance deep into the tournament. “Undeniable,” meanwhile, was a landmark ad in the largely unimaginative—and usually safe—fundraising category that has inspired more than a few copycats since then.
An “Ah! Ha!” moment?
Molson’s “Wheelchair” is an all-time great PSA, a fantastic depiction of the cavalier attitude about drinking and driving that persists in some corners to this day. Its message stands in stark contrast to Familiprix’s beloved “Ah! Ha!,” which is among a handful of purely comedic campaigns to advance out of the first round.
Most Intriguing Matchup, Pt. 2
Dove “Evolution” versus Molson Canadian’s “The Rant” is a battle of two truly iconic Canadian campaigns. “Evolution” was a global phenomenon and can be credited with helping usher in a new approach towards beauty advertising—seriously, those early ‘90s “Litmus test” ads now feel so quaint—while “The Rant” was a loud, proud, and crowd-pleasing articulation of Canadian pride. Both campaigns could go all the way, but the bracket format means that one is going out in this round.
The All-Outdoor Matchup
As an avowed fan of great out-of-home, it’s a thrill to see two standout uses of the medium square off in the second round. There’s an argument to be made that no brand uses its distinctive assets in its marketing better than McDonald’s, and “Follow the Arches,” proved it only need small portions of the iconic McDonald’s “M” to be instantly meaningful to people. By the same token, “Share Our Billboard,” which invited people to share James Ready’s billboard space to keep its “buck a beer” alive, was a wonderful representation of its focus on value and affordability (and fun).
Footwork versus artwork
“We the North” versus “Draw Ketchup” is another showdown between wildly disparate ads with wildly different objectives. The former is synonymous with the Toronto Raptors’ emergence as an NBA powerhouse—<sigh> remember that?—while “Draw Ketchup” masterfully reaffirmed the iron grip that Heinz has on the ketchup category.
Big winner versus slim winner
A matchup between two campaigns that took markedly different routes to the second round. “Touch, Cat” garnered more than two-thirds of the vote in its first-round matchup with “Proud Fathers,” a possible testament to its absurdist humour and “interactive” nature. Meanwhile, Sid Lee's “House Party” won by the slimmest of margins: 0.5% per cent. This has created an intriguing matchup between an ad that still has that "WTF did I just watch?" vibe 13 years later, and a celebrity-driven spot for a global sportswear brand.
