WTF

As many of you know, I’m not one to post. I’m what you might call “the Sasquatch of LinkedIn Posters.” Sightings are rare.

But when someone says, “Hey, Allan Mah! You know your IKEA ‘Start the Car!’ TV spot you and Andrew Bradley made at zig? It’s nominated to be the Best Canadian Ad of the 21st Century! It’s Top 2 now!”, you kinda take notice, squint with a nose scrunch and ask, “…But why?”

As a self-deprecating ad nerd, that loves a lot of excellent ads made in Canada, and thinks “I wish I had done that” a lot, I for one, find it hard to believe.

Somehow, a lot of my favourites done at places like Bensimon Byrne, BBDO, BHLA, Conflict, Cossette, Courage, FCB, GUT, John St., Juliet, Leo Burnett, LG2, NFA, Ogilvy, Rethink, Taxi and Zulu Alpha Kilo, have been cast aside. What happened to WealthSimple? Doesn’t the stuff Ryan Reynolds make, kinda count? He’s Canadian. Why not his stuff?

So why is “Start the Car” part of the top 2?

Is it because “Start the Car” resonates with people who really love thinking they’re secretly getting an extra, extra good deal? Is it because all of us have felt the tension and adrenaline rush of not correcting the cashier?

Or is it that part in the spot, when we cut extra wide and Lisa Horner screams “Start the car! Start the car!” as she runs across the parking lot?

Or is it that third, more primal scream with her diminutive, but supportive, colour-coordinated onscreen tv husband, Scott Anderson?

Could it be all the talented actors who auditioned at Powerhouse Casting ? The directing of Mark Gilbert? How about Tiko the DOP? The editing of Leo Zaharatos ? The transfer of Rock’n Roll Billy Ferwerda ? Or the music from Theo Theodore Ted J Rosnick ? How about the amazing client, Cass Hall and 宜家 ? Or the producers Sharon Nelson-Bailey and the gone but not forgotten, Janet Woods? Or the collaborative creative direction of Elspeth Lynn and Lorraine Tao , or the savvy business minds of Shelley Brown , Karlia Cederroth , Christine Harron and Andy Macaulay at that place we called zig?

Or is it because “Start the Car” ran for two decades, in 13 countries including the USA, and was reshot frame for frame for countries like Türkiye and France?

And in 2017, “Start the Car” was chosen by TIFF as a Top 10 Essential Ad in Canadian Cinema History. Maybe that swayed things?

Could it be all of the above?

So what do you think? Should “Start the Car” be voted number 1 as the Best Ad of the 21st Century?

I leave it up to you to decide. And if you like, you can also hit us up for freelance work etc. Maybe we can create the next, best ad of the 21st Century, together.

Vote here:?https://www.campaigncanada.ca/article/1870735/campaign-cup-final-vote-now

Campaign Canada , thank you!