Oh Canada! Oh Coke!

TORONTO—For 120 years, Coca-Cola has been proudly refreshing Canadians from coast to coast. This summer, as Canadians come together to mark Canada’s 150 birthday, Coca-Cola is celebrating its Canadian pride and deep roots across the country with several exciting initiatives.

These include a limited-edition Canada 150 Coca-Cola mini can, a 60-second commercial developed specially for Canada 150, and a commemorative book that tells the fascinating story of Coca-Cola’s history in Canada.

This summer, Canadians will be able to toast to Canada with commemorative 222 mL mini cans of ice-cold Coca-Cola honouring Canada’s heritage. The cans are designed with a silhouette of a Canadian maple leaf and the official Canada 150 logo against the backdrop of Coca-Cola’s iconic contour bottle.

The six-packs are available starting now through September (while supplies last) at outlets across the country.

This is the first time Coca-Cola has created a promotion using 222 mL mini cans, reinforcing the company’s commitment to help Canadians manage the sugar they consume by encouraging a smaller package option.

“We’re thrilled to join the historic celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday,” says Coca-Cola Ltd. president Shane Grant. “From our earliest days in the country, Canadians have embraced Coca-Cola. The passion for our brands keeps building as we continue to launch new beverages and package options to meet Canadian tastes.”

Also this year, Coca-Cola Canada will be airing a commercial specifically created to celebrate Canada 150.

The ad, titled “The Great Canadian Chase,” showcases the lengths to which two Canadians will go in pursuit of the refreshing taste of an ice-cold Coca-Cola. Their journey takes them from snow-covered mountains in the west to the rocky water’s edge of the east.

Watch the fun commercial:

Canadian music lovers will recognize the commercial’s soundtrack “You Belong To Me” from homegrown talent Bryan Adams, from his latest album “Get Up.”

The spot began airing in cinemas last Friday and will begin airing nationally on television on June 19, 2017, followed by online versions.

“Our new TV commercial does a fantastic job of showing the beauty and breadth of the Canadian landscape as well as the special and enduring relationship between Coca-Cola and Canadians everywhere,” says Coca-Cola Ltd. vice-president of marketing Michael Samoszewski. “With a soundtrack from Canadian Bryan Adams, this commercial is truly made in Canada for Canadians as tribute to the beautiful country we love.”

Canadians also will be able to learn about the fascinating story of Coca-Cola in Canada in the book, “Canada’s Coca-Cola: Refreshing the Nation for 120 Years,” published by Penguin Random House. Through extensive research, archived records and conversations with long-standing associates, this book shares “made in Canada” moments.

The story begins in 1897 when Canada became the first export country for Coca-Cola outside of the U.S. Canadians were quick to embrace the great taste of Coca-Cola, and in 1906 the first plant was set up in Toronto to meet growing demand. It was soon followed by many others across Canada.

Special ties to Canada include the “Thirst Knows No Season” ad campaign in the 1920s, support for the Olympic Games in Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver, and the company’s role in cultural events such as the Canadian National Exhibition.

The book recounts many stories that Canadians may not know about, such as Coca-Cola’s sponsorship of The Guess Who and Canadian singer Bobby Curtola in the 1960s. The book, published in French and English versions, can be pre-ordered online now and will be available wherever books are sold from June 20, 2017.

Today, Coca-Cola Canada continues its long tradition of supporting local and national partnerships to strengthen communities and help the environment. The company is a proud partner of Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada, Breakfast Club of Canada, Special Olympics, Mompreneurs and WWF Canada, among other groups.

About Coca-Cola Canada
Coca-Cola in Canada operates in all 10 provinces, and employs 6,200 people in more than 50 facilities, including six production facilities across Canada. It offers a wide variety of beverage brands, many of which come in no-calorie and low-calorie options. These beverages include sparkling soft drinks, still waters, juices and fruit beverages, sports drinks, energy drinks and ready-to-drink teas. Coca-Cola offers some of the most popular brands in Canada including Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Coca-Cola Life, Sprite, Fanta, Nestea, Gold Peak, POWERADE, Minute Maid, DASANI, smartwater, smartwater sparkling and vitaminwater. Coca-Cola in Canada is represented by Coca-Cola Refreshments Canada and Coca-Cola Ltd. For more information, visit www.coca-cola.ca or www.thecoca-colacompany.com.