The City of Toronto says it stands by its campaign ad that has TTC riders scratching their heads.
Last week, a transportation campaign developed by the city caught the attention of commuters and raised the question: “Who was behind this?”
Read more: “Who is responsible?” New TTC ads are receiving backlash from some riders for being stereotypical and useless
“Drop a cup of bubble tea, but won't it stop the hate? Let's end anti-East Asian racism,” the ad reads.
One tweet went viral and has been viewed more than 15 million times to date.
Read more: Toronto journalist Chanel Cowell on navigating the industry as a South Asian woman and her journey from 6ix to the Big Apple
Some Torontonians weren't really feeling it, and the once-serious ad became a meme overnight.
Some said it was ridiculously racist, while others pointed out that other Asian demographics had been completely erased.
Now Toronto has reached out to the city to ask who was consulted and how the ad came about.
City of Toronto spokesperson Shane Gerrard says the city has hired a committee to make sure everything runs smoothly.
“Discussion and dialogue, including online engagement, is one of the overarching goals of the Toronto for All campaign – a public education initiative aimed at supporting Torontonians in speaking out against discrimination and racism,” he said in an email statement.
Gerard shares that the city partnered with the Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice who co-developed the declaration with the support and guidance of the Community Advisory Board.
In fact, the city worked with 11 community groups over several months in 2023 to “better understand the issues faced by East Asian communities in Toronto and co-develop campaign materials based on their experiences and feedback.”
The partnership saw three different illustrations highlighting Toronto's East Asian influences, which are enjoyed beyond the East Asian communities.
This includes drinking bubble tea, listening to K-pop music, and learning to speak Mandarin.
“Through discussions with this advisory department, the campaign was developed to urge those who value aspects of culture or cultures to become allies and speak out,” he continued. “The city heard from members of East Asian communities that they were still experiencing discrimination resulting from the pandemic and the Toronto for All campaign focused on New ones in 2023 to support those communities.”
