Molson hands the camera to real Canadians

Molson is bringing a very human element to its new campaign, reimagining one of Canada's most famous advertising slogans for a new generation.

Created by Rethink, ‘Made By Canadians’ slots right into the recent analogue trend. Molson gave out disposable cameras across Canada, hidden in cities including Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.

Members of the public were invited to document their own version of Canada before returning the cameras for development.

The resulting film, with creative direction from Jordan Darnbrough and Nick Noh, is composed entirely from those photographs, and set to Blue Rodeo's ‘Lost Together’.

Functioning as a kind of national scrapbook, the campaign builds a collage of experiences including lakeside gatherings, backyard celebrations, skateboarding sessions, kisses, friendships and everyday moments.

First launched in 2000 through a flag-waving star of a Molson ad, Joe Canadian, the phrase “I Am Canadian” became a national rallying cry and arguably the defining Canadian advertising campaign of its generation.

Twenty-six years later, Molson has decided it no longer owns the phrase. As Molson marketing director Eric Kouri explained: "The most authentic definition of being Canadian isn't found in a boardroom, a weathered stereotype or celebrity spokesperson. It's found in millions of moments big and small."

Our take

Where the 2000 campaign defined Canadian identity through a single voice, this version embraces a host of diverse national voices.

The use of disposable cameras is particularly smart, bringing a sense of authenticity in an age of AI imagery, filters and algorithmic perfection.

This campaign could easily have become a forgettable nostalgia exercise. Instead, it becomes an act of national co-authorship.