If you didn’t know, Canada is synonymous with winter.
The season that barely manages to frost windows in Vancouver is the pinnacle of our national identity, rival only to (the myth of) multiculturalism and red maple leaf mittens.
One of the new slogan for our 2014 Olympic athletes: “Winter, it knows us better than we know ourselves.”
The Canadian Olympic Committee on Tuesday launched an extensive advertising campaign — which they say is the “largest brand undertaking in its history” — six weeks ahead of the Sochi Winter Olympics.
The images are absolutely stunning and the beautiful chill of ice-laced winds and snow-dusted peaks draws out goose bumps on my skin. The athletes are held on high like gods of snow and ice, boldly championed for their achievements and ambitions.
They really want us to believe winter defines who we are.
This minute-long clip tell us: “Winter gives us everything and expects us to give it all back. We are Canada. We are winter.”
At the Sochi Games, the Canadian competitors will believe it. Anyone cheering for Canada will want to believe it, too, even if they can't stand to shovel another driveway, loathe what road salt does to valued boots and vehicles and has never enjoyed a snowball fight.
The four 30-second and two 60-second television advertisements are built on 100 hours of footage and narrated in part by Lillehammer 1994 Olympic gold medallist Jean-Luc Brassard and Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic gold medallist, Steve Yzerman, now the executive director of the national men’s hockey team.
The campaign emphasizes athletes like bobsledder Kaillie Humphries, speed skater Denny Morrison, hockey player Meaghan Mikkelson and snowboarder Mark McMorris are who they are because of the Canadian winter.
Follow their mantra on Twitter at #WeAreWinter.
