Canadian Tire is ending its long-running advertising campaign featuring the man we love to hate, the Canadian Tire Guy. This was deemed front page news by the Globe And Mail.
Here's the beginning of the story by television critic John Doyle.
The most irritating Canadian goes off airWe were once hanging out with new Canadian friends James and Lori, and somehow the subject of the Canadian Tire Guy came up. Allan and I immediately started complaining: "Oh man, that guy is so annoying, he is so irritating, I can't stand him...". At which point James said (I'm paraphrasing here), "You've been here a few months and you already hate the Canadian Tire Guy. You're gonna fit right in."
He represented so much to so many people. He was the utterly unacceptable face of the mild-mannered Canadian male. He was a stalwart symbol of the neutered, new male. He was everybody's idea of the irritating neighbour. He was the smiling, smug, know-it-all guy with the cool tools and the always-working, automatic garage-door opener.
He was no Joe Canada, of I Am Canadian fame, that's for sure. He looked like he'd never had a brewski or even worn a tuque. His flannel work shirt was always way too clean. His Canada was limited to Canadian Tire. He was the Canadian Tire Guy.
Now he is no more. Yesterday, it was announced that Canadian Tire would launch a new advertising campaign with a new advertising agency. The Canadian Tire Guy (played by actor Ted Simonett) and Mrs. Canadian Tire Guy (played by Gloria Slade) will not be part of it. It is truly the end of an era.
Like Don Cherry or the health-care system, the Canadian Tire Guy was a subject on which every Canadian had an opinion.
For more on the Canadian Tire Guy, it's fun to Google his name and read other people's loathing.
22 comments:
Allan and I immediately started complaining: "Oh man, that guy is so annoying, he is so irritating, I can't stand him..."
Sick of the Bell Beavers yet?
They're annoying, but I did like one line from the first ad: "We're two inseperable males in an ambiguous relationship. Surely you can work with that?"
It wasn't long ago that Ikea got in trouble for an ad that had two males buying a coffee table together. Though, admittely, that was south of the border; I doubt that a couple like Frank & Gordon would fly in the US.
I have to admit I've never seen the ad, not having a TV.
On that note, I have a small problem. I don't listen to music much either, but need to buy a whack of CD's as presents. Since my readership is practically nil, I am taking the liberty of asking people who have music ideas to drop by my blog and make a suggestion or two.
http://thegossipinglandlady.blogspot.com/
Thanks, and sorry Laura for advertising on your site.
It wasn't long ago that Ikea got in trouble for an ad that had two males buying a coffee table together.
But they were hugely praised for it, too! They got a lot of support and didn't pull the ad.
I must admit, I've never had the sound on for one of those Bell commercials. IMO, things are like that are the reason the mute button was invented.
Thanks, and sorry Laura for advertising on your site.
You're welcome to it, Ferdzy. Just do me a favour, gang - leave suggestions for Ferdzy at her place. Thanks!
And yet, I'll miss the Canadian Tire guy.
Those commercials were terribly annoying, but they're part of Canadiana. I draw a parallel to Christmas fruitcake. Nobody (well, almost nobody) enjoys it, but it's just not Christmas without it.
I dunno, I never got all the angst over the Canadian Tire guy.
When I read your opening sentence I thought you were referring to Rex Murphy ...
(The Paralympics start today!)
The CTG never bothered me either. I thought you must have meant Don Cherry.
While I never had much of a problem with the CT couple (though I do think he was horribly rude a couple of times), high up on the list from Google was a Maclean's Article which just left me rolling in the aisles laughing...
http://www.macleans.ca/topstories/life/article.jsp?content=20051031_114409_114409
I don't know...I always thought Hal Johnson and Joanne MacLeod registered higher on the annoyance scale.........
I agree the Canadian Tire man was annoying, but man, I love those gadgets he pushed all those years. I just bought myself the Eliminator car battery booster the other day and I've got a half-dozen of those Mastercraft 3-in-1 tools. I never use them, but I have them.
I don't know...I always thought Hal Johnson and Joanne MacLeod registered higher on the annoyance scale.........
Ya, they caused the decline and fall of the Participaction program.
Nataleo: Remember this classic?
I like those beavers. Voice of Norm MacDonald, continuous self-mockery, it appeals. Of course, avoiding overexposure is key.
Help is on the way, Ferdzy.
From the MacLean's article: Canadian Tire's long-running ad campaign ... seems directly aimed at middle-aged, middle-class suburbanites who are desperate to keep their lawns neatly trimmed and their minivans perfectly polished (a.k.a. the crowd that already goes to Canadian Tire 1.8 times a week). Problem is, it seems nearly everybody else can't stand him.
I resent being called middle-aged. Or desperate. And I don't own a minivan.
It's a station wagon.
When I read your opening sentence I thought you were referring to Rex Murphy ...
I thought you must have meant Don Cherry.
The thing about Murphy and Cherry is they're both completely avoidable. The CTG pops up in the middle of whatever I'm watching!
I personally find Don Cherry more of a clown than an annoyance. Murphy, well, you know I love him... [/sarcasm]
I don't know...I always thought Hal Johnson and Joanne MacLeod registered higher on the annoyance scale.........
And they are...?
I don't know...I always thought Hal Johnson and Joanne MacLeod registered higher on the annoyance scale.........
And they are...?
The government of Canada used to have this fitness program called "Participaction". Hal and Joanne would appear in numerous "Participaction" tv ads extolling the virtues of this or that kind of excercise.
Oh yeah, I saw that recently on Corner Gas - and read several people's memories of the program, prompted by that episode. But I didn't know those names. Thanks Kyle!
I like those beavers. Voice of Norm MacDonald, continuous self-mockery, it appeals. Of course, avoiding overexposure is key.
I did like the bit where Gordon (I think it was) complains about the advertising during the Olympics and says he's getting sick of seeing himself.
Even so, just about ever ad was shown about three times too often.
Anyone else notice, in the add for snowmobile survival picks, the snowmobile that broke through the ice had two people on it, but only one comes out of the water?
Well, you can pick your friends ...
Thank goodness. He was so freakin annoying. Found your blog from another and I'm enjoying reading it. Going to post a link on my blog to it.
Every couple of weeks something like this comes along and reinforces to me how much of our culture is defined by advertising. Like another reader, I "don't have" TV and have no idea who the CDN Tire Guy is. In my case, I get my TV programming via illicit means that will no doubt darn me to heck. This introduces a lot of filters. I almost never see TV commercials unless I'm visiting a friend and it's a rare occasion where we're watching something rather than eating, playing a game or conversing.
When I go out to group events, I often feel like I'm visiting a foreign country. I don't understand a surprisingly large portion of the conversaions! Someone relates a story about how their kid thinks ducks say "Aflack", prompting someone else to talk about some new burger, cola or SUV commercial, and so on. I have to have everything explained to me.
Oh well. Long live the new flesh!
All they have to do now is kill that jingle: "I'll start with you." It makes me cringe.
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