“I ❤️ Oil & Gas” is Alberta’s MAGA hat.
Never trust anyone who wears this logo.
Never trust anyone who wears this logo.
https://twitter.com/seanchucalgary/status/1367283037944250368
The “I ❤️ Oil & Gas” brand is operated by @CanadaAction, which has deep ties to Conservatives in Alberta.
h/t @thenarwhalca
thenarwhal.ca/grassroots-can…
h/t @thenarwhalca
thenarwhal.ca/grassroots-can…
The brand was launhed by Cody Battershill.
Likely with seed money from John Battershill, a chiropracteur who operates in Calgary, and drives an I ❤️ oil branded truck.
thenarwhal.ca/cody-battershi…
Likely with seed money from John Battershill, a chiropracteur who operates in Calgary, and drives an I ❤️ oil branded truck.
thenarwhal.ca/cody-battershi…
John Battershill started his career as a sports player for a Calgary team now owned by Billionaire N. Murray Edwards.
He quit sports after sustaining several concussions.
Now he claims to be able to help heal traumatic brain damage with chiropractic treatments.
He quit sports after sustaining several concussions.
Now he claims to be able to help heal traumatic brain damage with chiropractic treatments.
About a year ago, John Battershill sent an email out to his clients downplaying the dangers of #Covid19. He called it "viral pneumonia" & suggested using Olive Leaf Extract--which he sells--to ward off the disease.
Since then 1900 Albertans have died.
#COVID19AB
Since then 1900 Albertans have died.
#COVID19AB
This is John Battershill's truck.
He has a habit of parking it illegally.
He has a habit of parking it illegally.
Canada Action has over 100K likes on their FB page & over 11K followers on Linkedin. They are very active on both sites, as well as here and on IG.
They are also very effective at infiltrating corporate AGMs and conferences.
They are also very effective at infiltrating corporate AGMs and conferences.
Canada Action claims to be non-partisan yet they find the most support among Conservatives.
BriarPatch Magazine investigates what Canada Action is.
The Oil Industry’s PR Offensive: CAPP’s “grassroots” group, a real estate mogul, and an oil-obsessed government via @briarpatchmag briarpatchmagazine.com/articles/view/…
The Oil Industry’s PR Offensive: CAPP’s “grassroots” group, a real estate mogul, and an oil-obsessed government via @briarpatchmag briarpatchmagazine.com/articles/view/…
Canada Action, a non-profit organization that bills itself as a “grassroots movement” in support of the country’s natural resources industry, received a $100,000 payment from ARC Resources.
thenarwhal.ca/canada-action-…
thenarwhal.ca/canada-action-…
"Canada Action hosted a free conference at the Telus Convention Centre in December [2018] featuring conspiracy theories claiming that Canada’s pipeline and oil production problems are due to US-funded environmental groups."
@CCPA_BC
policynote.ca/false-advertis…
@CCPA_BC
policynote.ca/false-advertis…
"Companies place large bulk orders for [Battershill's] apparel, and a handful of firms and associations each put up $2,500 sponsorships for his “grassroots” rally, which ran alongside Calgary’s annual Global Petroleum Show."
macleans.ca/news/canada/th…
macleans.ca/news/canada/th…
Back in 2019, @joshkelliott asked "When does an ‘I love Canadian oil & gas’ shirt become political?"
globalnews.ca/news/5913362/i…
globalnews.ca/news/5913362/i…
.@TheBreakdownAB had some questions along the same lines too.
https://twitter.com/TheBreakdownAB/status/1176563847269740544?s=20
Actually @TheBreakdownAB has covered Canada Action a few times.
(I had remembered seeing somewhere that @LeelaAheer had turned her car into a Canada Action billboard, but I couldn't remember where. It was this segment.
(I had remembered seeing somewhere that @LeelaAheer had turned her car into a Canada Action billboard, but I couldn't remember where. It was this segment.
https://twitter.com/TheBreakdownAB/status/1188771914942074880?s=20
This connection between Canada Action, @shandro, and @doug_schweitzer, is important.
Again, great investigation by @TheBreakdownAB.
Again, great investigation by @TheBreakdownAB.
https://twitter.com/TheBreakdownAB/status/1189596095854174209?s=20
And great investigation by @kim_siever.
Annual returns for Canada Action 2016, 2017, and 2018 were filed by Tyler Shandro.
kimsiever.ca/2020/05/22/did…
Annual returns for Canada Action 2016, 2017, and 2018 were filed by Tyler Shandro.
kimsiever.ca/2020/05/22/did…
About a year ago, when @jkenney was on his way to visit @sait, the college pulled down their rainbow flag and replaced it with... an "I ❤️ oil" flag from Canada Action.
https://twitter.com/youseepeeYYC/status/1365804588066959362?s=20
In the past couple of years Canada Action has branched out.
Now they claim to support forestry, farmers, and strip mining.
Now they claim to support forestry, farmers, and strip mining.
Why do this?
Established brands are durable. It's easier for a politician to hitch their wagon to an existing brand than to trick someone to think that they care about reducing homelessness.
Established brands are durable. It's easier for a politician to hitch their wagon to an existing brand than to trick someone to think that they care about reducing homelessness.
https://twitter.com/youseepeeYYC/status/1361858826102730752?s=20
.@maxfawcett talks about this idea in relation to Tim Hortons.
"Harper frequently used Tim Hortons locations as backdrops for announcements or photo ops and, in 2009."
thewalrus.ca/how-tim-horton…
"Harper frequently used Tim Hortons locations as backdrops for announcements or photo ops and, in 2009."
thewalrus.ca/how-tim-horton…
"The real power of Tim Hortons for politicians, it seems, is its link to the rise of populism as a political force and the 'common wisdom of the common people.'"
--from @thespec
thespec.com/news/canada/20…
--from @thespec
thespec.com/news/canada/20…
Even the 2nd best political podcast in Canada, @CPBPodcast , discusses the political power of Tim Hortons.
frequencypodcastnetwork.com/2020/05/10/the…
frequencypodcastnetwork.com/2020/05/10/the…
So how does this relate back to Canada Action's marketing?
They do the marketing for an identity that both industry & politicians can hitch on to.
"Look at me doing relatable things" says the politician "don't I look trustable?"
They do the marketing for an identity that both industry & politicians can hitch on to.
"Look at me doing relatable things" says the politician "don't I look trustable?"
https://twitter.com/youseepeeYYC/status/1358615653402374144
Canada Action is basically marketing Conservatism to all the workers in major industries that will be harmed by it.
It pretends to be grassroots, but it's all fake astroturf.
Oil and gas doesn't love you back.
It pretends to be grassroots, but it's all fake astroturf.
Oil and gas doesn't love you back.
When Trump decided he was going to run for president, people underestimated how good he would be at marketing and branding. He had been doing it all his life.
The symbol became something that voters related to.
gq-magazine.co.uk/article/what-i…
The symbol became something that voters related to.
gq-magazine.co.uk/article/what-i…
Conservatives in Canada were quick to jump on an established brand they thought would make them apear relatable.
Some even wore it with “I ❤️ oil” shirts.
Some even wore it with “I ❤️ oil” shirts.
The Conservative politicians saw a symbol that people were rallying around, like when Canada Action coordinated with Rally 4 Resources.
pipelinenews.ca/news/local-new…
pipelinenews.ca/news/local-new…
"You see lots of Islamophobia and other types of hate language, along with the frequent use of suggestion that violence should be done to elected officials in the province."
They either didn't notice or didn't care about who was rallying.
cbc.ca/news/canada/sa…
They either didn't notice or didn't care about who was rallying.
cbc.ca/news/canada/sa…
Like the politicians who were drawn to symbols that drew a crowd, so too came others who were looking for followers.
via @NatObserver
nationalobserver.com/2019/06/11/new…
via @NatObserver
nationalobserver.com/2019/06/11/new…
Now I don't think that the original intention of the "I ❤️oil" campaign was to get adopted by hateful people. I think it was just to make a few bucks from selling stickers and shirts.
It's just that some of the target audience was already hateful.
globalnews.ca/news/6605199/a…
It's just that some of the target audience was already hateful.
globalnews.ca/news/6605199/a…
The intent of Canada Action's campaigns is to give it's working-class customers as sense of inclusion, while it's corporate customers can buy in to feel relatable to the workers they exploit.
It makes the people on the bottom feel like they can relate to the people at the top.
It makes the people on the bottom feel like they can relate to the people at the top.
But #oilandgas doesn't love you back.
"When Dr. John O’Connor sounded alarms in 2006 about high levels of #cancer in communities downstream of the #Alberta #oilsands, he began a 15-year battle against governments who denied the problem."
#cdnpoli
nationalobserver.com/2021/03/03/new…
"When Dr. John O’Connor sounded alarms in 2006 about high levels of #cancer in communities downstream of the #Alberta #oilsands, he began a 15-year battle against governments who denied the problem."
#cdnpoli
nationalobserver.com/2021/03/03/new…
Oil and gas doesn’t love you back.
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