by The Unknown Copywriter » Mon Feb 02, 2015 9:08 pm
I was pondering this same development myself, and penned the rant below before yesterday's game.
CRTC Chairman Jean-Pierre Blais recently announced the intent of his commission to ban the substitution of American commercials during Super Bowl broadcasts in Canada starting in 2017. The CRTC claims they've received enough complaints from viewers to look into and take action on the issue.
I can only imagine how many viewers haven't gone through the trouble to take similar action.
Entrepreneur and financial commentator Kevin O'Leary recently commented on this decision, citing the loss of revenue Canadian broadcasters would suffer for not being able to sell their air time during the game. On that specific element, from a pure business perspective, I agree with him. Inventory normally available for sale to Canadian advertisers would be taken away.
However, another part of his viewpoint, and the reason why we're having this discussion in the first place, fails to address the genesis of the issue.
What his observations don't take into account is that Canadians would prefer to watch the American ads, not the made in Canada ads, during the Super Bowl broadcast. Kevin noted, and correctly so, that the American commercials are indeed available online for viewing at one's discretion. But let's make a parallel. If you took your favorite person to a fine restaurant for dinner, how would you feel if you had to drink your hundred dollar bottle of wine in the back alley? Canadian viewers should have the right to enjoy the game the same way as their American counterparts; strapped to the couch, beverages and snacks in hand, good company, rambunctious sporting debate, and American commercials presented as part of the broadcast.
Besides, believe it or not, some people just might not have a connection to the Internet yet.
I have many friends and colleagues in the broadcast and advertising business, and I don't think many would disagree with me. It's out there for all to see...our advertising agencies can't compete with the American offerings. Too often, the Canadian creative psyche isn't able to make the leap to the next level. I don't know what we're afraid of, or why. I can get into creative specifics at another time.
But here's an example of how our creative standards of what's good and what's great leaves me baffled. At one time, I wrote, voiced, and directed a radio commercial that won the Gold Medal for Humour at the International Radio Festival of New York. The world's funniest radio commercial, from right here in Vancouver, Canada. As chosen by New York. You gonna argue with New York? Didn't think so. Next to winning a Clio, grabbing the gold at New York is as top notch as you can get. (I somehow recall that the Clio awards might have been out of business at that time, otherwise, we would have probably entered it in there, as well.)
So what happened in this country, with the same commercial?
Finalist, "Leisure Time and Travel" category at the Radio Bureau of Canada Crystal Awards.
Go figure.
I tried.
It's now taken government action to highlight a long known truth: in context of North America's largest sporting event, the creative output of our advertising agencies and marketers is unacceptable to Canadian audiences. Viewers have submitted their votes to the CRTC, and Canada loses. This decision is pointed directly at the creative output of Canada's advertising industry.
Pull up your socks, Canadian creative people. And you clients out there…loosen up. You just got kicked off the field, and based on your level of play, you deserve it.
PS: There was actually one example yesterday of Canadian creativity that I thought was brilliant.
Not the entire ad, but something in the ending.
Did you catch it?
T.U.C.
"The present day composer refuses to die!"
Edgard Varese
"Kill ugly radio."
Frank Zappa