• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, November 2, 2021

Ryan Reynolds-owned Mint Mobile, which offers low-cost, prepaid phone plans in the U.S. has launched a campaign urging Canadian citizens to call their representatives to demand that Mint be allowed to offer service in the country.

Canada is known for its high-cost mobile service and according to broadband comparative site WhistleOut, third-party mobile virtual network operators like Mint Mobile "need to negotiate with existing networks and often cannot strike low-cost deals like we see in the United States."

Mint has placed a giant billboard in Toronto, featuring Reynolds frowning at his cell phone below a graphic that asks: “Why Not Mint?” with a call to action to visit Mintmobile.ca.

There’s an accompanying video also featuring Reynolds who notes that many Canadians have been asking why the service is not available in Canada. “Canadians pay some of the highest wireless costs anywhere,” he says.

As dozens of phone numbers of Canadian government representatives are flashed across the screen, Reynolds adds: “I’m not saying call your representatives, but I’m not not saying that.” 

But he makes clear, in his trademark assertively equivocal way that he’s saying that. “Call them,” he says, in a barely audible whisper, before saying don’t call them but then giving an affirmative nod.

Yes, he wants you to call them.