A few weeks ago, while surfing the online entertainment sites, I somehow got looped into watching a video for Drake’s newest release – Started From the Bottom.
(I’ve linked the video instead of embedding it here because, let’s be honest, it’s Drake… and the lyrics are slightly explicit for delicate ears. Plus, I can’t understand half of what he says.)
Since it’s Drake and I have incredible respect for anyone from Toronto who’s made it to the big leagues, I paused to watch the video. In it, he pays homage to his days back in TO, including playing indoor soccer and working as a night manager at Shoppers Drug Mart.
After a good chuckle, I closed down the video and then took to Twitter to see what people were saying about it, because I’m curious like that. However, I was astonished at how many US media outlets were crediting “Walmart”, “variety stores” and “a Big Box Retailer” as the scene of Drake’s part-time job. DUDE! I recognized SDM the second I saw the uniform – never mind the tell-tale Life Brand product prominently featured by one discerning customer!
And so I did the only thing I could do – I set the record straight on Twitter. You’re welcome, Shoppers Drug Mart.
However, I soon realized that I was getting hot under the collar over a store that frankly, I hadn’t visited in months. How could a brand, so synonymous with Canadiana that I immediately recognized an employee uniform – have slipped off my radar for so long? I suppose, when it comes down to it, I’ve been lured by the convenience of the big boxes here in Canada; the chance to get everything in one place. And while I fill every prescription at SDM, I haven’t poked around there for quite a while. So, I decided to pay them a visit….