Viral Ad in Canada Wants Us to 'Hug It Out'

"Why is there a hug in a Canadian travel ad, and why has it gone viral?" Those are the questions recently posed by a BBC reporter about a new promo out of Quebec that gives a glimmer of hope for strained US-Canadian relations. Afar.com reports that our northern neighbors in the Eastern Townships region are ready to "come hug it out"—the message behind an ad campaign meant to reassure American tourists they're still welcome in that neck of the woods. The 30-second spot shows a visitor from the US checking into a hotel, informing the French-speaking receptionist that he's American. The receptionist then proceeds to press a red button, leading viewers to suspect she may be about to call security.

Instead, she comes out from behind her desk and gives the surprised man a big ol' bear hug, leading to his seemingly grateful return embrace. "Americans were actually, literally calling our hotels and attractions asking, 'Am I still welcome? Are people going to be nice to us if we come?'" Catherine Carignan-Levasseur of Tourism Eastern Townships tells CTV. "That kind of sparked a red flag." That spark was likely spurred largely by the fact that the Eastern Townships area borders the northern US states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont and sees an ample number of American tourists.

Another rep from the tourism department, Shanny Halle, tells Afar.com that visitors from the US bring in about $73 million to the region each year—but there was a 10%-plus drop in the number of car trips made by Americans to Canada this June, compared to June 2024, amid an ongoing tariffs war set into motion by President Trump. The ad may be having some impact, with the department noting it's seen an 83% spike in traffic to its English-language website since the ad launched at the end of May. "I think this was, like, a way to tell Americans ... we're all the same," Halle tells the BBC.