Ontario's bold US ad campaign sparks debate as Ford claims it "woke up the whole country"
Ontario Premier Doug Ford remains steadfast that his government’s $75m anti-tariff ad campaign was “worth it,” even as it triggered a sharp escalation in trade tensions and drew criticism from both Washington and Ottawa.
“Did we get our money’s worth? Oh my goodness, did we get our money’s worth,” Ford said in an interview with CBC News, defending the campaign’s global reach and impact.
The campaign, which featured Ronald Reagan’s 1987 remarks against tariffs, aired during high-profile US broadcasts, including the World Series.
Ford told CNN that the ad achieved “11.4 billion impressions,” adding, “It was working, it woke up the whole country. There probably isn’t one American that hasn’t viewed it, on social media or on television, and the whole world saw it on the World Series”.
Ford’s message was clear: “A tariff on Canada is a tax on Americans,” he said to CNN, emphasizing that his intention was to inform Americans and protect Ontario’s critical industries, especially the auto sector.
“My job is to protect the people of Ontario. That’s exactly what I’m going to do,” Ford said in a media scrum. He highlighted that the auto sector has already seen companies announce production cuts, and that the stakes for Ontario’s economy are high.
The campaign’s effectiveness, however, came at a cost.
US President Donald Trump responded by suspending trade talks and threatening an additional 10 percent tariff on Canadian goods, calling the ad “fake” and a “serious misrepresentation of the facts,” as reported by Bloomberg.
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute also criticized the use of Reagan’s remarks and is “reviewing its legal options”.
Ford, when asked about the fallout, told ABC News, “No, I don’t regret it at all. My intention was to make sure the American people were informed and have a conversation, and it really started a conversation”.
He dismissed the idea that the ad campaign was reckless, stating to CBC, “If it wasn’t the ad, [Trump] would look out the window and see the leaves are turning and hit Canada. It’s also not about the ad. It’s about Trump finding, in his words, every excuse in the world to not get a deal”.
Ford also rejected suggestions that he was acting outside his lane, noting that both Prime Minister Mark Carney and his chief of staff saw the ad before it aired.
“He knew I was running it. I said it very clearly to everyone,” Ford said to reporters, adding that he spoke with “almost every single premier” in Canada about the campaign.
The federal government quickly distanced itself from Ontario’s intervention.
Prime Minister Mark Carney and federal ministers emphasized that trade negotiations are solely a federal responsibility, and the government is preparing budget measures to support affected industries and workers.
For financial professionals, the stakes are clear.
The ongoing trade dispute and threat of additional tariffs have direct implications for Ontario’s auto, steel, aluminum, and lumber sectors—industries that are “suffering badly,” with further job losses likely if the impasse continues, as noted by federal officials.
This uncertainty is compounded by legal and reputational risks, with the Reagan Foundation’s review of the ad campaign’s use of presidential remarks.
Provincial responses remain divided.
While some premiers have supported Ford’s direct engagement with US policymakers, others, such as Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, have called for a return to consistent diplomacy.
British Columbia, meanwhile, is launching its own digital campaign to highlight the impact of US tariffs on Canadian lumber.
Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy echoed Ford’s sentiment, describing the campaign as “money extremely well spent” and arguing it raised awareness of the risks of a trade war.
For Ford, the bottom line remains clear.
As he told CBC, “Mission accomplished. It was done. They’re talking about it in the US, and they weren’t talking about it before I put the ad on, so I’m glad that Ronald Reagan was a free trader”.
