Rogers’ 2024 commercial featuring American actor John Krasinski dancing to Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” on a boat on Lake Simcoe drew criticism because it appeared during a prolonged labor dispute that had kept many Canadian union performers from working on commercials for major brands. The controversy was about casting and access to commercial work—not simply the presence of a U.S. actor in a Canadian setting.
What was in the Rogers commercial?
The commercial debuted in July 2024. It showed Krasinski dancing to “Shake It Off” aboard a boat on Ontario’s Lake Simcoe, promoting Rogers’ 5G network. Rogers’ campaign transcript presents the network as enabling John to do “amazing things.” MobileSyrup’s report describes the setting and song; the Rogers transcript gives the campaign’s wording.
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Why were Canadian actors upset?
The ad landed while ACTRA—the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists—and the Institute of Canadian Agencies (ICA) were in a prolonged dispute over the National Commercial Agreement (NCA), the agreement governing commercial performers’ work. The practical tension was stark: a prominent American performer appeared in a Canadian telecom campaign as Canadian union commercial actors faced reduced access to jobs amid the dispute.
MobileSyrup reported that Keith Martin Gordey, vice president of ACTRA’s English-language acting union, told CBC News the ad “makes his skin crawl.” That brief phrase captures the criticism reported in coverage; it should not be mistaken for a full interview statement. CBC framed the backlash as occurring amid the two-year ACTRA–ad-agency labor dispute in its report, “Why this John Krasinski Rogers ad is angering Canadian actors.”
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Former Rogers ad narrator Kate Ziegler was among the actors MobileSyrup reported discussing the difficulty of finding work. Her experience illustrates what some performers said they were facing; the reporting does not establish an industry-wide count or dollar figure for lost work.
What was the ACTRA–ICA dispute?
The conflict concerned negotiations between ACTRA and the ICA, which represented advertising agencies, over the NCA. MobileSyrup reported that the agreement had expired in 2022. The ICA’s position, as reported there, was that expiration left it free to use non-union actors; ACTRA disputed the consequences and the bargaining status. These were contested positions, not a single agreed account of what the expired agreement permitted.
MobileSyrup corrected its initial description of the situation as a “strike” in an August 13, 2024 update, saying it should be described as a “lockout.” Using that corrected term matters when recounting the dispute. ACTRA later characterized the lockout as unlawful on its agreement page; that is the union’s position, not an adjudicated finding established by the cited material.
Why the ACA agreement matters
The dispute with the ICA did not mean every Canadian advertiser was in the same position. ACTRA and the Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA) had a separate NCA renewal. ACTRA announced on June 13, 2024 that performers and the ACA board had ratified a one-year renewal, effective June 12, 2024 through May 31, 2025. ACTRA said the agreement was reached after the ICA walked away from the agreement and negotiations. ACTRA’s announcement documents its account and the renewal dates.
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ACTRA’s agreement page records a further ACA renewal for June 1, 2025 through May 31, 2026, including a three per cent rate increase. ACTRA says the NCA sets terms for on- and off-camera performers in English-language commercial production in Canada. The page also says members had been advised not to accept work from engagers ACTRA says unlawfully locked out performers. The ACTRA–ACA agreement page establishes those terms through May 31, 2026; it does not establish the status of the wider dispute after that date.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What later developments are documented?
ACTRA reported that Publicis Toronto would work exclusively with ACTRA performers starting November 15, 2024, after signing a Letter of Continuance. The union explicitly said the agreement did not apply to Publicis Windsor or Publicis Montreal. This was a development specific to Publicis Toronto, not proof that the broader ICA dispute had ended. ACTRA’s announcement sets out the effective date and scope.
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The cited updates document the ACA renewal periods and the Publicis Toronto arrangement, but they do not establish the eventual outcome of all Ontario Labour Relations Board proceedings or the lockout’s status after May 31, 2026. The Rogers ad’s reception is therefore best understood in its 2024 context: a high-profile campaign intersected with a serious, unresolved labor conflict, while agreements and developments varied by advertiser and agency.
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