[Editors Note: April 2, 2015. Did you catch it? – We hope you enjoyed our April Fools]
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra are currently in negotiations with the popular Loblaws supermarket chain to rename themselves, “President’s Choice Symphony Orchestra”, effective 2016.
According to a source close to Music director, Peter Oundjun, the longtime TSO conductor has been a big fan of Loblaws and President’s Choice products for many years and thinks this would be a wonderful match for the 93 year-old orchestra. He was alleged to have said “It is our mandate to provide Toronto with affordable, high quality entertainment, and we feel the President’s Choice brand is exactly the kind of thing classical music needs right now: cheap quality music.”
President’s Choice also known as “PC”, is a store brand owned by Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada’s largest food retailer. PC represents the company’s premium line, and includes a wide variety of grocery and household products, in addition to financial services and mobile phones, and potentially, a symphony orchestra.
While private labels have been associated with inferior or inconsistent quality, President’s Choice products are promoted as being equal to or better than name brands at more affordable prices.
Gilford Weston Jr. Jr., executive chairman and President of Loblaw Companies Limited stated, “People are proud of the association with PC. In fact, storefronts often promote themselves through secondary signage, as “The Home of President’s Choice”. The brand has also been used as a general promotional device for products other than PC, with advertising that refers to “the people who bring you President’s Choice”, rather than a corporate name or particular store banner. This is a reflection of our brand integrity, and what better way to build upon that integrity than by absorbing a world-class orchestra.”
When asked Jr. Jr. how the company will interact with the daily business of the former TSO, he stated “that nothing would change, other than a new name under the PC brand, which we think sounds just as beautiful as the music they play.”
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