ovo summit

Here's what those cryptic Drake RBC billboards in Toronto are for

Sorry, Drake stans: You won't be applying for an OVO-branded credit card any time soon.

Contrary to rumours that surfaced earlier this week based on a series of billboards bearing both Drizzy's gold owl symbol and the Royal Bank of Canada's logo, Toronto's very own global superstar isn't moving into high finance.

What he, or rather what the lifestyle brand he founded with business partner Oliver El-Khatib is doing with RBC is... unclear.

"Together, RBC and OVO will partner to open the popular OVO Summit to the Canadian public for the first time," reads a press release issued by RBC on Thursday.

"Taking place on Friday, August 2, 2019, OVO Summit is an immersive conference for Canadian creatives and lifestyle entrepreneurs looking to grow their careers, hone their skills and make a lasting impact on the creative economy in Canada."

Not much else is said about what we can expect from the summit or what, exactly, RBC's role is (aside from title sponsor).

El-Khatib describes the OVO Summit as "a relevant educational experience for all the like-minded, driven young Canadians who are passionate about careers in music, sports, arts, and entertainment."

Tickets to the summit will be available for purchase starting June 24, according to RBC, at which point clients of the bank will begin to recieve "one-of-a-kind offers, exclusive access, experiences, and creative content which captures the backstory of the rise of the iconic OVO brand."

Forbes reports that, while neither RBC nor OVO would comment on the terms of the deal, it's significant on both sides.

"The ability to ink pacts with blue-chip partners like RBC—without Drake’s face necessarily attached to all the messaging—serves as evidence of OVO's viability as a company in its own right," writes the U.S. news outlet.

"As OVO grows, so should Drake’s fortune, which has already soared 50 per cent over the last year, placing him at No. 5 on the Forbes list of the world’s richest rappers."

Get it, Aubrey. 

Lead photo by

Josh McConnell


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