By the looks of the crowd of buffed-up Bessies winners, you’d think we’ve kissed that old Canadian identity crisis good-bye. No shrinking violets, no whispered thank-yous, just a mass of buoyant commercial execs as cut-throat competitive to be the best among peers as their American counterparts and clearly proud of this year’s creative accomplishments. Who’d have thought?

No one in the international ad community, say some key industry players.

American advertising at its best is slick, fearless; British creative, crazy, witty; the Europeans have their unabashed sensuality to define them. But Canada? Saatchi & Saatchi creative Peter Rigby’s recent On the Spot column in Playback commenting on the lack of profile of Canadian creative, summed it up: ‘Nothing really sets it apart, nothing makes it recognizably Canadian. Maybe there’s a fear of standing out too much. Problem is, that’s just the opposite of what we’re supposed to do for our clients.’

Reaction to the Brit-born creative’s column and to the topic of Canada’s lack of glory on the world stage runs from those who think the pursuit of international acclaim is an ego-driven waste of money to those who say greater respect from the international community could generate tangible dividends. Either way, general consensus is that Canada isn’t on the map internationally.

‘Canada is not as visible in the international creative community as it could or should be,’ says Tom Nelson, chairman and creative director of Ammirati & Puris/ Lintas and chairman of this year’s Bessies judging committee.

Ditto Bessies judge Bev Cornish, vp and head of broadcast production at Vickers & Benson.

‘I think the rest of the world still sees our work as a hybrid of European and u.s. work. When we do something good they think it’s American. So no, I don’t think we’re distinct.’

But all taking a similar line are quick to say that just because the profile is minimal doesn’t mean the work that comes out of this country can’t compete with the best internationally. bbdo’s Red Dog, Leo Burnett’s Fruit of the Loom, and the looming possibility that a&p/l’s Francois and Jacques campaign for Labatt Blue will be picked up by those fun-loving Americans getting a kick out of the ‘Baywatch’ punch line, come up repeatedly as examples of Canadian creative with North American legs.

‘There’s a ton of talent here. I think it’s more encouraging than it was three years ago, now that we’re playing a little more on the world stage. But we’re not there yet,’ says Nelson.

Invading the U.S. and vice versa

While no one is knocking the accomplishment of tapping u.s. distribution, a sale into the States doesn’t necessarily generate a stronger distinctive Canadian id. It’s more an example that we can play with the best in the world and also of why homegrown creative has a problem being recognized as separate from u.s. work, say ad execs.

‘Part of the reason we’re not out there is historical accident,’ says Nelson. ‘When you’re in the u.s. and you look at Canadian advertising, you see the same products in the same language but with some unfamiliar jokes. It’s not quite unusual enough to be foreign but not exactly the same either. It’s the same with Britain – we’re not brash enough to be American but not so different that we’re distinct.’

According to some longtime industry players, creating advertising that crosses the diverse demographics and psychographics of the Canadian marketplace means it’s that much more unlikely that defining characteristics can be developed.

Says MacLaren McCann executive producer Lesley Parrott: ‘As a nation, we’re never quite as strongly one thing like the Americans and the British are. One of the struggles is the mind-set which says we’re a kind of hybrid between the British and the Americans with a melting pot of multinationals thrown into the mix. Then when we create advertising it’s not so strongly one thing, because we’re creating this stuff for a diverse market.’

Post free-trade, post the onslaught of u.s. directors into the Canadian spot production industry, some industry players are left feeling that the chance to carve out a Canadian advertising identity has pretty much fallen by the wayside.

Advertisers cutting back on broadcast budgets, combined with the similar sensibilities of the Canadian audience to the American, is yielding up more revision work and less original creative. It’s a problem when more and more we’re just modifying American creative to fit a slightly different Canadian mentality, says Andy Attalai, Bessies judge and editor/ part owner at Chameleon Film and Video.

‘American perceptions, their values, are certainly taking more of a command of our values. I don’t know whether its economy-driven or whether our opening the borders to American directors has brought with it a certain American consciousness, but if there ever was a Canadian identity in the creative I think it’s less and less so now.’

Longtime music man and Bessies judge Steve MacKinnon says it’s true the 500-pound gorilla living below the border sits anywhere it wants to. But there’s a different mentality in Canada, more complex perhaps, that doesn’t lend itself to being defined in simple terms by our advertising. Take beer, for example.

‘You can point to spots like Nike and Bud and say that’s who the Americans are. It’s difficult to point to our beer advertising no matter how good the Canadian or Blue campaigns are and say, `Here’s an example of our Canadian identity.’ It exploits the notion of identity and kind of builds its own jingoistic niche, but it’s hard to build a case for national identity on beer advertising.’

But MacKinnon, like many of the Bessies judges, says in spite of this there is a tangible Canadian style, albeit a little hard to define. ‘You can’t make a blanket statement about it, but I think there’s a Canadian sensibility that informs the creative. It comes in the form of great ideas.’

Those great ideas are more necessary when you’re working with production budgets that pale by comparison to those of the u.s., Nelson adds. ‘We can’t compete with Nike. The only way to get bigger production budgets is to cover more geography and this is a small market. That’s why the things that win for us are more nefarious, more idea- and thought-driven.’

While the industry could be doing a better job of spreading the word of its creative accomplishments, v&b’s Cornish says the u.s. sees Canada as a viable creative source, even though they don’t know exactly who we are.

‘The u.s. production houses I deal with are always excited to see a Canadian board, and even though timing and budgets often don’t work, the interest is there. I know there’s a higher quality perception.’

Going international

Unquestionably the Bessies judges and the almost 1,000 attendees at the May 2 awards ceremony have no qualms that the award-winning work is in any way second rate. As Parrott says, we turn out our share of sizzling barbecue shticks like every other country, but when it’s good, it’s great. So why not take some of the inspired creative and pursue the likes of a Clio, a One Show, or a Gold Lion, say some industry execs, while others, like Bates Canada’s Brad Riddoch, question the point.

‘Hell, I don’t even think anybody knows what a Canadian is. And who cares? We just are who we are and I see no advantage to being branded or pigeonholed or characterized somehow. Why do we want to be labeled as anything? We’ve proven in this marketplace that we know what we’re doing, and that given the opportunity it can travel. I don’t need the u.s. or Britain to id us and tell us we’re doing good work. I already know that.’

Airing on the side of go-forth-and-conquer, Imported Artists director Richard D’Alessio, a judge for both the Bessies and the New York Festival, says the rewards of going international would be ample and much different than the payoff from winning local recognition at Canadian awards shows.

‘At the New York Festival, I felt like here was the best and we were missing. There was so much incredible work at the Bessies screening, but we don’t do these awards to push the envelope. The agencies get to bring their clients and winning equals kudos amongst their peers, all useful but very insular. If you’re a Canadian guy who wants to work with a Canadian agency, great, but the local awards don’t promote the industry on a worldwide level.’

Nelson agrees, saying that in judging The One Show last year, Canadian entries accounted for about 15 of the almost 14,000 entries. ‘It’s like you’ve got to play to win and we don’t play enough.’

There are a couple of things holding the agencies back from entering international shows, not the least of which are limited contest entry budgets. Submitting about six spots, including this year’s Bessie Gold winner ‘Duel’ to the Cannes festival, ran MacLaren McCann a bill of $4,200, which adds up when you consider how much goes into submitting to the homegrown awards shows. ‘There’s a finite budget, and when you can’t send everything everywhere, your Canadian shows are your first priority,’ says Parrott.

But while the agency side keeps tabs on the world’s ad work through the likes of Archive and Communication Arts, D’Alessio says the community as a whole is hungry for a clearer picture of how Canadian creative stacks up against the best internationally.

‘The irony is if you ask people what they liked best about the Bessies, they’ll say the international reel where they get to see what other countries are doing. People are thirsting for a much higher standard.’

He’s quick to add that part of this mission to get the industry motivated to do a little chest-pounding started at the Bessies judging, where what he saw ‘was really great. Good enough for worldwide.

‘When Canadian advertising moves towards an identity, it’s doing it on its wits. You don’t have the same money, but the exceptional standards are the same, and look at what the ideas did this year. Leo Burnett does a little underwear campaign and winds up winning the business in the States. Pizza Pops, this totally mutant product, and all of a sudden they’re writing this incredible creative around it.’

While Cornish believes the trend towards entering international competitions is on the rise, she adds other factors are increasing the face value of the Canadian industry. In part, an increasing number of Canadian directors finding u.s. representation is having a positive impact. Their work is up-close and therefore appreciated when they’re down there, and even in the process of bringing reels for screening, the Canadian content gets some exposure.

‘I think we’re in the process of raising the profile this way. Our Canadian directors are becoming better known and we’re not so much the poor cousin anymore. If we maintain the work, I think it will come around.’

Parrott agrees, but says an increased profile or winning a few more big-name awards might yield a chunk of self-esteem, different than ego, and more grounding. ‘I think we need to know that we’re up there with the best in the world, and if we’re not, it’s up to us to try to figure out why.’

But Nelson says win or lose, just having the work screened would help to up the Canadian profile.

‘I’m not sure that if we entered more we’d win more. The competition’s tough. But it’s hard to be recognized by other countries if they don’t see your work in the forms they look to for what’s excellent.’

An added bonus from a little international recognition would be a clearer sense of who we are, and at the same time could score a different kind of points with clients than winning the local awards, D’Alessio concludes.

‘Part of the bonus would be creating more of a Canadian identity. As the creative excellence keeps going up you ideally want to keep raising its profile, and if there’s a client you want to inspire, an international show award would really open that door. It says Canada is on the map.’