The Canada Media Fund (CMF) and Telefilm Canada are trying to instill a collective sense of pride into Canada’s homegrown storytelling.

Launched as part of the ongoing “Made” initiative to promote Canadian talent and stories (“Nous” in French markets), the campaign includes a series of montages that highlight prominent Canadians in media, like Schitt’s Creek star Dan Levy, Turning Red director Domee Shi and Ms. Marvel actor Iman Vellani, the first Muslim superhero portrayed in Marvel’s cinematic universe..

The new campaign is called “Made Better” in English and “Tout ça, c’est Nous” in French.

Mathieu Chantelois, CMF’s EVP of marketing and public affairs, says all the players in the industry are rallying around the cause of championing talented, local creators.

“The message of this campaign is that Canadians are making everything better, more funny…we make things more thrilling, we make things more epic,” Chantelois says. He ads that the work is inclusive, with the montage including Indigenous creators, 2SLGBTQ+ content and diverse superheroes, spanning both big and small productions.

“When you put all these pieces together, you see how great we are,” Chantelois says.

The creative will air on major broadcast networks from now to April, with shorter digital spots running online and timed to coincide with awards season, where the likes of James Cameron and Sarah Polley have been getting a lot of attention. Denis Villeneuve is also set to bring Dune: Part Two to theatres later in 2023.

“We are politely kicking ass,” he jokes.

The latest work follows 2021’s “Seek More,” which highlighted the need for more diversity in entertainment and resulted in a 51% net gain in favourable perceptions around diversity in Canadian content in CMF research. The organization’s data shows that audiences want representation on-screen and to watch stories that embrace their principles, educate them, and represent their communities.

While prior work was more targeted at policy makers and those in the industry, this latest work is aimed more broadly and to get a sense of pride among the general public.

The new campaign was developed with agencies Torque Strategies and Rethink Canada, along with support from 123w. The campaign is also getting organic support on social media from actors like Simu Liu, as well as the cast of Canada’s Drag Race.