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| Premier Doug Ford uses the words and voice of Ronald Reagan to refute tariffs! |
In the fall of 2025, Doug Ford, Premier of Canada's largest province, Ontario, commissioned a television ad that used former Republican President Ronald Reagan's own words and voice to refute the validity of tariffs. See TV Ad. It ran for a week on US national news shows and sports broadcasts, including two World Series games between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The fallout was immediate. Donald Trump, in a temper tantrum, halted all trade talks with Canada and also imposed further tariffs. My post below outlines the upside—the unexpected public relations and earned media coverage the ad generated.
The Full Story
I love the ad. It's brilliant!
And, you know which one I mean. From this point forward, marketers will refer to 'The Ad' and industry people will know excatly which one they mean.It's brilliant because it uses the words spoken by a revered usa President, RonaldReagan to refute the ideology of tariffs. Reagan called out, as no other American could, the veracity of Donald's big idea.
It's Great When it Works
DougFord spent $75 million of Ontario taxpayers' money to message one person. Donald Trump!
And it worked. It worked so well, Donald ham-handedly cancelled all trade talks with Canada, then imposed higher tariffs.
Paid Advertising - The Beginning
The value of Doug's investment was tripled (perhaps more) when you multiply the value of earned media received.
Every news organization covered it. Then they replayed it hourly in each new show to provide context, helping their audiences understand the bluster of Trumpian experts trying to claim the ad was fake.
That drove millions of Americans to Google Reagan to find what he actually said. They discovered that the ad's content was 100% accurate. It was only edited for time.
That was a big problem for Trump. Calling the ad fake and accusing the Ontario Government of
Plagiarism only made Doug Ford look more credible by telling the truth about Reagan's free trade beliefs.
The Story Had Legs
Then the conversation went viral across every social media platform. Late-night show hosts lampooned Trump's extreme reaction. Undoubtedly, people talked about it at dinner parties, in coffee shops, or while watching the WorldSeries in local pubs.
Now, you say, Doug Ford backed off under Trump's pressure and halted the campaign. Hello! Note: Ford pulled them on Monday (October 27th) after running them during the two ball games, which will be watched by many millions worldwide.
Good move, Doug. A responsible move. Why spend all that taxpayer money when your audience is in Asia?
-RTBraley
P.S. One of the cool things about the 1988 Free Trade negotiations was the friendship that developed between Ronald Reagan and Canadian PM Brian Mulroney. Remember the duet of them singing 'When Irish Eyes are Smiling?' It seemed hokey at the time, but now not so much!
Now, you say, Doug Ford backed off under Trump's pressure and halted the campaign. Hello! Note: Ford pulled them on Monday (October 27th) after running them during the two ball games, which will be watched by many millions worldwide.
Good move, Doug. A responsible move. Why spend all that taxpayer money when your audience is in Asia?
-RTBraley
P.S. One of the cool things about the 1988 Free Trade negotiations was the friendship that developed between Ronald Reagan and Canadian PM Brian Mulroney. Remember the duet of them singing 'When Irish Eyes are Smiling?' It seemed hokey at the time, but now not so much!
Wrapping it Up
Has this post helped you? Do you have any stories from your experience navigating difficult times? I'd love to hear from you. Please share in the comment section below.
CONTACT INFO
Websites: www.branditwithrobyn.com and www.unimarkcreative.com
Twitter: @RobynTbraley
Check my YouTube channel for radio and TV interviews about political leaders' body language during TV debates . http://bit.ly/4oaB5Z9
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