FUSE Create from Toronto just pulled off something that would make even John A. Macdonald pause mid-sip. The agency’s new campaign for the Confederation Centre turns coffee cups into conversation starters and transforms Canada’s founding political drama into a modern call to action.
“John & Sam had their say. Now have yours, John & Sam” reads the campaign’s central message—a cheeky nod to the founding fathers that somehow manages to be both respectful and provocative.
Coffee shop democracy in action
The campaign’s most clever touch? Those coffee cup sleeves showing up in independent cafés across Canada. Picture this: you’re grabbing your morning coffee in Vancouver or Halifax, and suddenly you’re face-to-face with Macdonald and George Brown’s portraits asking you to weigh in on today’s issues.
For context: John A. Macdonald became Canada’s first Prime Minister and George Brown was an influential newspaper publisher and politician. Despite being political rivals who famously disliked each other, they formed the “Great Coalition” in 1864 that led to Canadian Confederation. The campaign cleverly plays on this historic partnership—and their legendary personal animosity.
Steve Bellamy, CEO of Confederation Centre, explains the thinking: “We’ve been asking Canadians from across the country to tell us what issues matter most to them. This campaign is about bringing people together—in the room or online—to talk about those things, to listen to one another, and to lead the way for making a better Canada.”
More than just historical nostalgia
FUSE Create designed this as more than a heritage moment. The campaign positions the Confederation Centre as where modern Canadians can tackle the conversations the founders started in Charlottetown back in 1864. Except now the table includes voices that weren’t there 161 years ago.
The visual approach is bold but accessible. Those coffee cups work because they meet people where they already are—in the middle of their daily routine, in spaces that already foster conversation.
Building something bigger
The initiative connects to FUSE Create’s understanding that Canadians increasingly get their news through personalized algorithms. The campaign creates physical spaces for diverse, inclusive dialogue about the issues that matter most.
“It’s your voice. It’s your Canada. It’s your turn,” the campaign declares—transforming what could have been another institutional heritage campaign into an active invitation to participate in democracy.
The work includes print, online video and media—all designed to demonstrate how the Confederation Centre supports the country by creating spaces for meaningful dialogue. The campaign also features national voices like Alan Doyle lending support as a spokesperson.
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