Did you notice a plane flying around Toronto with a banner reading “Sorry Toronto!” this week? If so, you saw the latest advertisement for Tourism Montreal.
Tourism Montreal launched its “Sorry” campaign on Dec. 1. The campaign aims to make Montreal the place to be in 2017 because it’s the city’s 375th anniversary.
“In 2017, we’ll be showing off Montréal’s vivaciousness,” Tourism Montreal president Yves Lalumière said in a statement. “Now 375 years strong, the city has a unique personality that promises to be particularly lively all year long.”
Tourism Montreal even made a video apologizing to Torontonians about the upcoming party.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r78rTWZ9tY
The banner could be seen while driving on the Gardiner Expressway and in other parts of the city because it was a clear day. With no context for the banner, the actual meaning of the message became a mystery. The small font that spelled “Montreal” was hard to read.
Montreal 375 will have over 175 events, starting with Barbegazi from Jan. 6–8 and 13–15, 2017.
The campaign will also spread to New York in 2017, where Tourism Montreal will have “an imaginary ambassador who will invite Americans to come and party like only Montréal knows how to do!” The campaign hopes to promote and showcase Montreal as a city through its’ culinary and cultural scenes.
Reaction on social media has been mixed:
There is a plane flying a "SORRY TORONTO" banner over downtown.
Did I order that in my sleep last night?
— Nathan Whitlock (@nathanwhitlock) December 6, 2016
https://twitter.com/CraigHam3/status/806324987334393857
is Montreal flying 'Sorry Toronto' banners over the city the most canadian marketing campaign or…?
— MK Elliot 🏳️🌈📚🏒💖✊🏻✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿 (@mkelliotmk) December 7, 2016
A helicopter was flying around this motning with "Sorry Toronto!" banner …wonder why??#weird #Toronto pic.twitter.com/ufZrDtfFsi
— Malik Velani (@MalikVelani) December 6, 2016
https://twitter.com/scotterankin/status/806171887147552768