Ads reveal what marketers think Canadians value as nation turns 150

We're still several months away from officially celebrating Canada's 150th birthday on July 1 of this year. But marketers have already started running ads wishing us a happy birthday — and tapping into national pride.

Advertising for Canada's 150th birthday goes all the way back to 2014, when Stephen Harper's government ran ads celebrating the fathers of Confederation and a country that was "strong, proud and free."

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The Trudeau government is currently running Canada 150 ads from several departments, and corporations are running even more.

CIBC got an early start with a Canada Day ad that ran last year featuring Percy the penguin and Edmonton Oilers hockey star Connor McDavid trying to figure out the best way to celebrate.

The healthy-living advocate Participaction started previewing their birthday idea in October. They're hoping Canadians will use their playlist and 150 suggestions for activities to get moving this year.

And now that we're well into 2017 there are even more marketers getting on board. For instance, RBC's Make 150 Count campaign gives $150 grants to young Canadians who want to make a difference in their communities.

The Aga Khan Foundation is running an ad that aims to highlight the values it feels are important to Canadians. The ad says, "Canadians want a more peaceful, equal and pluralistic world. For Canada's 150th anniversary, join us to make an even bigger difference and celebrate all the ways we're Canadian."

Scotiabank has a different idea about what's important to Canadians for the 150th. It's emphasizing its ongoing commitment to community hockey teams.

Loblaws promotes a different value.

In a touching ad, a woman is frustrated that the residents of her apartment building seem totally unaware of each other's presence.

So she sets up a table in the hallway and invites her neighbours to join her for dinner. Text in the ad says, "Nothing brings us together like eating together." Then we see the President's Choice and Canada 150 logos.

Many of the Canada 150 ads are about building community, an appropriate message for this occasion and these times.

Agriculture Canada continues on that theme with an ad that sees several Canadians in a vast wheat field. As they talk about what they believe makes Canada special, the camera pulls back to reveal a combine creating the official Canada 150 logo.

While such ads generate goodwill for government departments and corporations, they also help create a sense of pride in the many different ways we're Canadian.

And that's rarely a bad thing.

Bruce Chambers is a syndicated advertising columnist for CBC Radio.