As many make their way home for the holidays and nervously wring their hands over forecasts, storm warnings and lists of canceled flights, the harsh realities of winter are present on everyone's minds. For the city of Toronto... there's a little something else, too.
A new mailer from the government of Toronto aimed at advising citizens to prepare for the city's historically aggressive cold and heavy snows has gone viral for its, um, interesting phrasing choices. Riffing off of Game of Thrones' famous tagline "Winter is Coming," the postcard's sexually suggestive addition of "and so are we" understandably had many who would otherwise throw the junk mail straight in the recycling pile to do a double take.
Naturally, the PSA's overly horny tone invited a whole host of innuendo and pleas for Toronto's public relations agency to maybe hire a copywriter next time around. Ottawa's Public Health agency even got in on the action on Twitter. In all fairness, winter is cuffing season, with many looking for someone to keep them warm through their seasonal depression — so maybe Toronto was doing all of us a favor by saying the quiet part out loud.
\u201ccity of toronto, you needed a copyeditor on staff for this one.\u201d— Anna Maxymiw (@Anna Maxymiw) 1670939932
\u201c@maxymiw Toronto: WINTER IS COMING...ALL OVER YOUR FACE!\u201d— Anna Maxymiw (@Anna Maxymiw) 1670939932
\u201c@maxymiw Whelp, guess we can't use that slogan for our new #SafeSex campaign anymore \ud83e\udd37\u200d\u2642\ufe0f\n\nWe'll come up with a new one.\n\nEither way, wear condoms, eh?\u201d— Anna Maxymiw (@Anna Maxymiw) 1670939932
\u201cNo no no let's hear them out\u201d— Santa Claus Conquers the Chicagoans (@Santa Claus Conquers the Chicagoans) 1671049614
\u201cMaybe Toronto\u2019s not so bad after all.\u201d— Head of Lettuce vs. Smith (@Head of Lettuce vs. Smith) 1671049054
\u201c@maxymiw Always run your logos, taglines and ad copy through a group of 12-year-old boys.\u201d— Anna Maxymiw (@Anna Maxymiw) 1670939932
\u201c@maxymiw This reminds me Kristi Noem\u2019s campaign against methamphetamine addiction.\u201d— Anna Maxymiw (@Anna Maxymiw) 1670939932
\u201c@maxymiw Copy editing 201: a game of tones.\u201d— Anna Maxymiw (@Anna Maxymiw) 1670939932
\u201c@maxymiw After the succcess\n\n\u2744Cool for the Summer\u26f1\n\nNow we got\n\n\ud83e\udd75Hot for Winter\ud83c\udf28\u201d— Anna Maxymiw (@Anna Maxymiw) 1670939932
Photo via Getty