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Monday, June 30, 2014

Can You Sing All the Words to O Canada?


adapted from Huffington Post 

You might remember the Canadian beer fridge from this year's Winter Olympics, the one from Molson that only opened if you scanned in a Canadian passport. 

Now it's back in Canada just in time for Canada Day, July 1, but this time, they're really making people prove their national love.




Just in time for Canada;s 147th birthday on Canada Day, Molson Canadian has created a   a fridge that makes Canadians sing out Canada's praises in return for a free beer.   

The catch is that you have to sing O Canada  perfectly - all the way through. If you miss a word or two on the more difficult parts of the national anthem, the fridge makes a noisy buzzer sound and the door stays locked.  


According to Molson,  fridge's technology depends on your timing and the words of the lyrics, as this behind-the-scenes video explains.

“We don’t walk around carrying a passport, but what we do walk around with is patriotism on our sleeve,” said Darren Quinton, brand manager for Molson Canadian at Molson Coors in Toronto. “With Canada Day fast approaching, it made a lot of sense to marry the anthem to the Beer Fridge.”

The fridge's technology depends on your timing and the words of the lyrics, as this behind-the-scenes video explains.

Although the embarrassed looks on people's faces as they start singing in public are pure polite Canadian manners, you can see how readily they get caught up in the tune and of course, draw in a crowd. 

If you're Canadian, the ad will have you feeling all warm, fuzzy and like eating maple syrup. If you're not Canadian, this may be the first time you were a little envious of them. 

The fridge currently only has two public appearances booked (with more expected throughout the year): July 1 at The Great Canadian Cabin in The Byward Market in Ottawa, and July 14 at the Pemberton Music Festival in B.C.
 
How would you do?

Do you need to refresh your memory? Brush up on the lyrics here. O Canada


"My name is Joe and I am Canadian" 

Popular though it may be, the O Canada beer fridge commercial will never rival The Rant,  an award winning Molson beer commercial that ran from 2000 to 2005 and forever won the hearts of Canadians. 

"My name is Joe and I am Canadian." In 2000, these passionate words from a new Molson beer commercial tugged at the patriotic heartstrings of Canadians. 

The ad starred a  man named Joe: an "average Canadian"  standing in a movie theatre, with a cinema screen behind him showing different images relating to Canadian culture .  
 
Joe proceeds to give a speech about what is it to BE  Canadian and what it is NOT to be a Canadian, making it clear that contrary to stereotypes, being a Canadian did NOT involve living in an Igloo, eating blubber or owning a dog sled. 

"Canada is the second largest landmass, the first nation of hockey and the best part of north America,"  he declared. " My name is Joe, and I am Canadian."

The ad was an instant hit and many of its words continue to live in popular Canadian culture. In fact,  thousands of Canadians can recite the words from memory. 


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