Canadian Tire couple retired

The Canadian Tire couple is no more.


When the retailer unveiled its new spring ad campaign yesterday, the bearded handyman Ted and his wife Gloria were nowhere to be seen. The famous pitch-couple had been showing off innovative products for the hardware chain for almost a decade.

Like the chains coupons they where loved by some and hated by many, the couple had transcended advertising into the realm of pop culture, where they were parodied by the likes of Royal Canadian Air Farce and This Hour has 22 Minutes.

Tracy Fellows, a vice president of advertising at Canadian Tire Corp., said the couple's "demo-mercials" were effective. But internal research showed that they were starting to wear on consumers by late last year, the Globe and Mail's online service reported.

"Though those demo-mercials were extremely successful for us over the last eight years, it was time for us to move on," Fellows said.

"And try to build more of an integrated program between the brand spots and the pro-duct spots working closer together."

The new Canadian Tire campaign will make its debut during Saturday's Hockey Night in Canada broadcast. One spot features a couple covetously eyeing their neighbours' back yard. As they imagine the things they could do with their own yard, Canadian Tire signs appear in different parts of the yard, indicating the aisle numbers where different products can be found.

Other ads will continue to highlight specific products, but in a more humorous, less earnest way than the Canadian Tire couple spots.

"We've injected a little more wit, a little personality, a little charm -- something that we felt was missing," said Lance Martin, associate creative director at Taxi Advertising and Design.

The new ads mark the first Canadian Tire campaign for Taxi, which replaced Doner Canada as the retailer's agency last year.

And if I may toss in my $6.50 worth of "Canadian Tire Bucks", I say good riddence. These adds where pretty annoying. Here is what this average Canadian couple would like us to believe.

In last season's summer promotion they went camping. With them they bring a Dome Tent that doesn't require poles ($139.99), and triple duty pumps that will inflate air beds and soccer balls in the blink of a mosquito's eye.

Add to that the generator (they had one from before but it wasn't very portable so they bought a new one) so mom and dad can watch flicks while camping. They ought to be zipped up in the Dome Tent with their brat kid and rolled down a cliff. The kid then gives thanks for said generator, now that he can play his video games instead of swimming in the lake to work off a bit of his pudding.

Then, later in the summer it's time for gardening. The two of them are always shown outside with some gadget or other they've just bough. Which makes the next-door neighbour drool with envy. The neibour is firstly a nosy busy body, secondly if a power washer makes you drool, your an idiot.

Anyway, a quick toting up of their purchases for last summer puts them in hock to Canadian Tire for somewhere around $3,000, minus $300 of coupons- all bargains, and all useful, mind you. But what this couple does for a living is never mentioned. Nor does the kid do anything, come on, how about making use of this slacker. Get him to make use of the brand new $299.99 super duper Simoniz S2000 gas powered pressure washer, to wash the car. And, while his dumb ass is moving how about cleaning the deck, patio and driveway.

Maybe this couple can find work hocking "Ikea" put it together yourself furniture, god I really need Ted to show me more uses for the "12 piece interchangable screwdriver drill bit set at $39.99"

Later,
Kenaz