City of Toronto ad goes viral, hits CNN

“Cellphones? We want it! Computers from the pre-Internet age? We want it! TVs encased in mahogany? We want it!” It’s rare that a municipal ad campaign gets it right, but when it does, the world sits up and takes notice. That’s the case with Toronto’s “We Want It” Web ads, in which a burly pair of guys named Chuck and Vince implore viewers to recycle their used electronics.

The Globe and Mail has investigated the backstory of these amusing spots, which began airing in September. That’s when things went viral. Tens of thousands of viewers forwarded the videos; CNN caught wind of the clips and featured them on air.

It turns out the actors are Second City veterans Marty Adams and Mike Nahrgang, and their performance has made blogs from India to Australia and have been featured on sites like Boing Boing, Treehugger, BuzzFeed and Laughing Squid. Comedian Eddie Izzard is a reported fan.

Never one to ignore an opportune bandwagon jumping moment, Toronto’s marketing team has decided to continue to use Adams and Nahrgang in future campaigns. Now that they’re members of Team Ford, we should all brace ourselves for a slightly rejigged slogan: “Bike lanes and improved public transit? We DON’T want it!”

• ‘We Want It!’: Behind the scenes on the city’s hit ad campaign [Globe and Mail]