The latest installment in Molson’s ‘I AM Canadian’ campaign hit the airwaves this month. However, before it reached tv sets, Molson previewed the new commercial, ‘No Doot Aboot It,’ on its IAM.ca website.

The results have been nothing short of revolutionary.

Rankin Carroll is the director of marketing for the Canadian brand. ‘Of the 19,000 people who opt in to view commercials on our site, 17,000 of them opened the spot. And then, they sent it forward to 10,000 more people, of whom a great number also joined and opted in. It’s a whole new means of getting stuff out to market and engaging your users,’ he says.

Carroll credits an intensive research and development process for the effectiveness of the new spot.

‘We did quite a bit of research up front on some boards. We’re using this a lot to check out with consumers, to make sure we’re getting at insights that are relevant, that we’re hitting the buttons that make sense to them,’ he explains.

The marketing director is confident the new ad will meet or exceed the wild success of Canadian’s ‘The Rant’ earlier this year.

‘They loved it [‘No Doot Aboot It’],’ Carroll says. ‘In fact, in groups it scored a little better than ‘The Rant.’ So we’re feeling great about that.’

The new spot runs 30 seconds, with a 15-second follow-up that is ‘just a little smile on the end of the whole thing.’

The two spots were directed by Avion Films’ Tim Godsall over a day in Toronto. The :30 depicts a Canadian in a New York office being harassed about his Canuckhood. When he reaches his breaking point, the Canadian gives the American the hockey-style ‘jersey treatment.’ The :15 shows the all-forgiving Canadian taking his jerseying victim out for a beer.

James Gardner was the dop and Caroline Gayler produced for Avion. Editing took place at Panic & Bob.

At agency Bensimon Byrne D’Arcy, Glen Hunt, author of ‘The Rant,’ gets writer credit, while Brian Hickling was the art director. Martha Scandrett produced for the agency.

Believe it or not, Carroll says the new ads are ‘a dramatization of a true story’ involving writer Hunt while in his office in New York.

Completed at the beginning of May, the commercials have just hit the air and Carroll expects a run of between four to six weeks, depending on viewers’ response.

Carroll is not bothered by the numerous takeoffs and send-ups of ‘The Rant.’

‘I think they’re fun,’ he says. ‘I think it’s just people saying, ‘Hey, we like what you’ve got and we’ve got a sense of humor too.’ ‘

With tens of thousands of Canadians literally tuning in to watch the spots on the Net, it’s clear that Carroll is correct. *

-www.IAM.ca