Sometimes, the best marketing opportunities come out of nowhere. For Ottawa Tourism, the hit TV series “Heated Rivalry” is an unprecedented chance to put Canada’s capital on the world stage.
“I started hearing about it and some of the excitement within our team over the Christmas break and when we gathered again in early January at the office, it was clear that everyone’s energy and enthusiasm was directed at the opportunity we had in front of us,” chief marketing officer Glenn Duncan told OBJ on Thursday.
Based on the “Game Changers” series by Canadian author Rachel Reid, the six-episode hockey romance show follows a decade-long secret romance between two rival hockey stars, Canada’s Shane Hollander and Russia’s Ilya Rozanov.
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Produced by Canadian streaming service Crave and originally slated only for domestic release, the series skyrocketed to global heights when it was picked up for international distribution by companies such as HBO in the U.S. and Australia, with other services picking it up in the U.K., New Zealand, Ireland and Spain. With the show already renewed for a second season, further expansion could be in the pipeline.
With one of the protagonists born in Ottawa and the other (spoiler alert) moving to the capital next season, Duncan said the city will have more international eyes on it than ever.
For the tourism sector, he said that could be a boon.
“Coming off the heels of (a holiday short film we made) called ‘Magic On Set,’ which was launched last fall, we continue to recognize the value of having Ottawa on film and being streamed and visually seen on screen,” said Duncan. “Storytelling is something that lends itself to good tourism marketing. When people see destinations in movies or on TV, they want to visit that place.”
In the destination marketing world, nothing happens fast. Ottawa Tourism plays a major role in attracting events, conferences and sporting competitions to the city. It’s the kind of work that takes place over years and Duncan said marketing campaigns, both domestic and international, are no different.
But sometimes, he said, an unexpected opportunity can’t be missed.
“We are extremely proactive in how we are executing our 2026 business plan and marketing, but we know certain things come across our desks at the last minute. The massive interest around ‘Heated Rivalry’ is the perfect example,” he said.
“(Our strategy) does appear a little bit more informal, but it’s very important that people understand it’s still very intentional. This very creative team that I’m lucky to be a part of, they realize that they have the green light to explore.”
‘Cheeky’ social media strategy gaining traction
Over the past few weeks, Ottawa Tourism has embraced the hype on social media.
It started by changing its Instagram bio to proudly proclaim the city as the “Birthplace of Shane Hollander.” And, in the past week, any Heated Rivalry post on the platform, whether posted by an Ottawa local or the official Golden Globes account, could have the Ottawa Tourism account lurking in the comments with a quip about hockey, ginger ale or loons.
Ottawa Tourism has also become more active on platforms like TikTok and Threads, a strategy that Duncan said is paying off.
“We’re seeing massive engagement on Threads and probably, when we look back, it’ll be some of the highest engagement in a short period of time that we’ve ever experienced. It’s all kind of overwhelming,” he said.
With some making jokes at Ottawa’s expense — X user @RhodeToLove went viral for saying he loved the show but “there is no love strong enough to make someone willingly move to Ottawa” — Duncan said the tone adopted by Ottawa Tourism bucks the city’s boring reputation.
“The strategy is to be a little bit cheeky, a little bit funny,” he said. “Our tone is intended to be lighthearted and engaging in that way. We’re trying to tell the Ottawa story. We want to also be known for the fact that we’re a lot of fun and there’s great humour here and we don’t take ourselves too seriously.”
On LinkedIn, the Ottawa Tourism page shared a carousel of graphics on Thursday that featured photos of the characters alongside Ottawa landmarks, highlighting the city’s connection to the series. The post also highlighted Ottawa Tourism’s relevant resources, including a guide for queer and trans travellers and its Every Body Plays in Ottawa video series, which features local athletes promoting inclusion and accessibility in sport.
“(The show) really does support the other initiatives and strategies we have across the organization,” said Duncan. “It overlaps with so much of what we’re doing in business, events and convention development, as well as our marketing to leisure audiences. The queer audience is very deliberate for us. We target that audience because we have success attracting visitors from that community. So this is a really well-rounded opportunity for us.”
He added, “It’s kind of unexpected to start 2026 like this, but wow, what a great momentum-builder.”
Businesses, destinations also leaning in
And it isn’t just Ottawa Tourism getting in on the conversation.
Ottawa beverage company City Seltzer, which partnered with the show to create a custom Smirnoff Ice-inspired drink, has made posts advertising its various flavours based on which character would like each one best. Local independent bookstores such as Perfect Books and The Spaniel’s Tale have been posting to let customers know when they have the fast-selling books in stock.
On TikTok, Ottawa’s Le Moulin de Provence highlighted itself as “Shane Hollander’s favourite bakery,” while the ByTowne Museum shared its excitement about the amount of attention on Ottawa since the show’s release.
When the official Golden Globes account on X joked on Sunday about a move to Ottawa for actor Hudson Williams, who plays Hollander on the show, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe reposted it and said, “You’re welcome here anytime.”
Outside of Ottawa, other destination marketing organizations are also joining in. Both Tourism Hamilton and Ontario Travel are highlighting the show’s filming locations, while Discover Muskoka is inviting fans to stop by the region to “come to the cottage” for themselves, in reference to the season finale that takes place entirely at Hollander’s cottage.
“(They’ve) started to play with this story and this opportunity,” said Duncan. “We see the chance to collaborate with some of our peers across the country as well. What a chance for us to engage with the author of the books, the stars, the series and the fans, who are feeding us with ideas of what they’d like to see happen. It’s all kind of pouring down on us in a very, very good way and we’re going to be exploring all of those opportunities in the weeks and months ahead.”
