Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism Makes Supporting Canadian Businesses Personal

Across the country, Canadians are showing their pride with every dollar they spend. The question of what it really means to buy Canadian is sparking debates, influencing decisions, and has even inspired apps designed to determine which brands are the 'most Canadian.'

And this renewed sense of national pride goes beyond the shelves. Canadians are rethinking and cancelling trips to the US - creating an opportunity for the tourism industry to redirect them to domestic destinations. Target, the long-time AOR for Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism, recognised this opportunity and identified a point of differentiation for the province.

For Canadians looking to keep their money in Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador offers authentic experiences rooted in place, full of charming independent businesses, and local, handmade products.

“On a trip here,” said TJ Arch, creative director at Target, “it’s not uncommon to sit in a cosy little café for tea and toast with partridgeberry jam made from berries picked down the street. And when it’s brought to your table by the person whose name is on the shingle out front, you won’t need an app to tell you you’re buying Canadian.”

Developed by Target, ‘Silver Linings’ takes a strategic approach, engaging Newfoundland and Labrador’s independent tourism operators to highlight an important truth: in this province, buying Canadian isn’t just the right thing to do - it’s almost unavoidable. With 80% of tourism-related businesses being small, independently owned operations, a trip here isn’t just a vacation, it’s a direct investment in the country.

"Newfoundland and Labrador is a place full of resilient people, not unaccustomed to making the best of a bad situation," said TJ Arch, creative director at Target. "If this unfortunate moment in geopolitics is what makes us all think harder about supporting local businesses and rallies us together, at least some good can come out of it."

The campaign includes digital videos and will be supported by social media and a full-page spread in The Globe & Mail.