The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA), which manages Canada’s .CA ccTLD, published a funny ad urging Canadians to choose the national domain. It features Canadian police in a parody uniform resembling that of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police following “traitors” – people registering domain names in .COM. “You are Canadians, what’s wrong with you?!” they ask.
In addition to words, they punish “traitors” with Canada’s national emblems, for example pouring maple syrup over a laptop or smashing a man onto the board of a hockey pitch. It is curious that all the .COM domains the Canadians in the ad are trying to register were really registered by the campaign organizers. If you type such an address into the URL bar, it will direct you to a website saying “We pity the fools who choose .COM.”
The feedback was mixed. Many people praise the ad and say it’s funny, while it is also criticized for being too aggressive. According to Domain Name Wire, it is really just an experiment and will only be run in Toronto, the largest Canadian city, and its suburbs. It will also be run in the regional cinemas and streaming services. To watch the ad, use the link.
