Canadian Energy Centre

The Canadian Energy Centre is using Omnicom's DDB Canada to influence American public opinion about the Canadian oil and gas industry.

Created by the United Conservative Party, CEC's goal is to counter what it perceives as misinformation about Alberta's oil and gas sector.

E.g., the Natural Resources Defense Council claims every step of tar sands oil production from extraction to waste storage wreaks havoc on the environment.

DDB is behind the CEC's pitch that "friendly" Canadian energy is the answer to the world's supply woes, especially as president Biden looks for producers to replace Russian oil.

The CEC's website notes that Iran continues to repress its own people; Saudi Arabia has committed numerous violations of international and humanitarian laws; Venezuelan police and security forces have killed more than 19K people from 2016 to 2019; while Canada enjoys a reputation as a defender of global human rights.

DDB has a $1.3M budget for a targeted US advertising push. That effort includes $150K for digital work, including rapid response to media criticism, organic rebuttals and paid media amplification.