True Patriot Love

Last Sunday, Canada finally introduced its brand to the world. I couldn’t be happier, after all, I do own part of it.

As a teenager, I grew up in London, England where I attended an American International School for a number of years. As a Canadian growing up with Americans in England, all I can say is it’s a good thing we traveled with our own therapist.

One thing I came to understand about Americans and Brits though, is that their brand is clearly defined and they, along with everyone else, get it.

The Canadian brand, on the other hand, (btw, I don’t get paid extra for rhyming) has always been, in my opinion, a brand mis-defined.

My American and British friends always saw me as a bit of an oddity. Sure, my Bay City Rollers pants didn’t help, but what really confused them was what it meant, my being a Canadian.

The best shot they took at understanding the Canadian brand, was to draw an igloo beside the picture of me in my yearbook.

It’s my belief that much of the world has never really understood what the Canadian brand is all about. But is that their fault or ours?

Look at our flag.

The British have the Union Jack. Strong. Bold. United.

The Americans have the Stars & Stripes. Magical. Wondrous. Proud.

The Japanese have the Rising Sun. Majestic. Inspiring. Hopeful.

What do Canadians have? A leaf.

And what of the symbols we use to promote our brand.

Souvenir shops in New York, London or Paris flog bronzed statues of iconic symbols like The Empire State Building, Big Ben and the Eiffel Tower, while Canadian souvenir shops sell maple syrup.

Other countries promote themselves with internationally recognized landmarks. We promote Canada with condiments.

For years, the Canadian brand has been seen by many as symbolizing a nation of polite lumberjacks living on a frozen tundra, whittling canoes, hunting for beaver pelts and filling up on back bacon.

I’m a Canadian, and I can honestly say I’ve never whittled a canoe, I don’t like back bacon and, while I’m on the subject, I’ve never been chased along the Trans Canada Highway by a burly police officer on horseback wearing red surge.

Canada’s lack of a relevant, powerful, well-defined brand has always impeded us from the recognition and respect we deserve on an international stage.

But that all changed for me last Sunday.

I watched the Olympic Games closing ceremonies, grinning from ear-to-ear as huge Royal Canadian Mounted Police piggy banks glided across the floor of BC Place, sharing the stage with twenty foot tall Beavers, oversized table-hockey players and dancers dressed in giant maple leaves. It was all intended to poke fun at the archaic and inaccurate image of the Canadian brand, as perpetuated by politically correct marketers for years.

This Sunday, I believe, Canada shed its skin of obscurity and revealed a new age of the Canadian brand. A brand that is confident and proud, progressive and self-aware. For once we were able to see our brand as others have seen it for so many decades. We finally recognized what we aren’t, and in doing so acknowledged, once and for all, what we are.

Way to go Canada!

I’d write more but I’ve got an igloo to dismantle and a few hundred jugs of maple syrup to list on Ebay. Americans love all that Canadian stuff.