Running a tourism ad with no scenic views, no happy travelers, and no beautiful landmarks is a big risk. After all, what else will bring tourists to your country? In 1978, Canada apparently thought a frightening image of the police charging right at them would do the trick. If there really is “So Much to Go For,” why not sell those vacation spots? An image of the iconic Château Frontenac, the breathtaking Canadian Rockies or Niagara Falls, or the red sand beaches of Prince Edward Island would have been far better options. And if the image doesn’t tell the story, the copy surely needs to pick up the slack. But Canadian tourism falls short once again. Mounties and currency exchange? Not enough to get me to book a room.

Body Copy: Canada is a celebration. Canada is your kind of summer. Come and enjoy the pomp and glory, the Mounties’ Musical Ride of pounding hooves and flying colours. Enjoy the pageantry, the history, the tradition of friendship. Canada offers you exciting cities and scenery as spectacular as any in the world. And when you get here, you’ll find your dollars go further now because of the favourable exchange rate. To take full advantage of this currency difference, we suggest you exchange your U.S. funds at any bank in Canada. Come celebrate your summer in Canada. We get a charge out of having you visit.

FUN FACT: Though known for their horses, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has made the switch over to cars for transportation. Still, a few “true” mounties can be found wandering about for the tourists’ sake. Their iconic look is so valuable that the RCMP partnered with Walt Disney in 1995 to oversee their marketing and product development for licensed merchandise.