CIBC customers got a big surprise when a bank machine in New Brunswick spat out Canadian Tire money this week. The bank, already under fire for faxing private documents to a West Virginia junkyard, suspects a business customer put the money into a cash drop. No word on the suspects, who must “Spend like Santa; save like Scrooge.”

In other Canadian Tire news, the “Canadian Tire guy” has tied Ben Mulroney for first place in The Globe and Mail’s list of the Top 10 Most Irritating Canadians. (See also subscription-free Google News link.) Although I wasn’t aware of the vote, which was overshadowed by CBC’s The Greatest Canadian series, I have often wondered who’s in the test audiences for Canadian Tire commercials and eTalk Daily broadcasts. At least, I hope they test these things.

(c) 2004 by Andrea Coutu. Vancouver Marketing Consultant. All rights reserved.