Although it looks like it’s about to be replaced by “This Election Is Rigged” as his favorite slogan, “Make America Great Again” has been a constant theme for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
But now an upbeat, optimistic Canadian TV ad is here to remind the people of the USA what makes America great – and why they love them so much.
The ad shows a selection of our Canadian neighbors who all volunteered to record their good wishes, and pick out aspects of the U.S. that deserve to be applauded, not dismissed.
They praise the U.S. for features such as:
- Its diversity and openness
- Its generosity
- Its ability to dream big
- Its quest to be the best
- Its opportunities.
There are also shoutouts for diverse aspects such as America’s jazz, bluegrass and R&B music, its entertainment, and its beautiful national parks.
The ad was produced by The Garden, a creative agency based in Toronto. The makers wrote:
“It’s no secret that America is going through a hard time right now. The election has exposed some pretty scary realities that will likely challenge them for years to come, regardless of who’s elected. They’ve been bombarded with a tremendous amount of negativity and it’s likely that for many of them, the immediate future seems rather bleak.
“With that, it occurred to us that America could probably use a little cheering up. That’s why we created the “Tell America it’s great” campaign. As their closest friends and neighbours, we thought it was important for us to do something to cut through the negativity and help remind them that no matter how bad things might seem, there are a lot of reasons to believe that America is still pretty great.”
Using the hashtag #tellamericaitsgreat, more Canadians tweeted messages of friendship and support. U.S. citizens responded in kind.
You Canadians are just so freaking NICE. 🙂 Thank you! It's been a little rough down here. #TellAmericaItsGreat
— Paul Zelizer (@PaulZelizer) October 15, 2016
Compare and contrast this refreshingly friendly exchange with the mean spirited, triumphalist tone of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” messages.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCzbaD-Sk8A
Featured image: Screenshot via YouTube video
