advert-body-1 by Target

Most Canadian cities don’t have their own songs, let alone their own raps. But Mount Pearl, a small city on the Atlantic coast of the island of Newfoundland, now has its own rap that touts its ordinary greatness and business opportunities.

Starring local real estate agent Jason Piercey, who brings an extreme amount of swag to his rap about a town that’s famous for pretty much nothing, ‘The Mount Pearl Anthem’ showcases all the things the locals of this 23,000-person town love about their home. People are really nice. They’ve got automated garbage collection. They’ve got a town crier and a Frosty the Snowman mascot. Peter’s Pizza and Landwash Brewery are great local spots, according to the rap, and the city has a good work-life balance and strong wifi.

“Everyday is the same pace as the 80s,” raps Piercey, who is seen in various places around town, from the public pool where seniors do water aerobics to local parks, businesses and city hall. It’s not the most diverse town on the planet, but from the video there is a certain charm to this remote city.

Mount Pearl claims to be a progressive city with a non-traditional way of thinking, and even the mayor, Dave Aker, or Mayor Dave as he’s known, is seen sporting his chain of office like bling.

The idea for the video came from Target, a Newfoundland-based ad agency, which works with the city on its economic development marketing campaign. The campaign articulates the city’s forward-thinking business practices. Knowing the city’s administration is open to unexpected ideas, Target suggested the rap video as a fun way to help put ‘the Pearl’ on the map. Because the people of Mount Pearl are so proud of their city, everyone got on board and many residents are seen in the video, including a stuffed squirrel.