Published May 12nd, 2026
by Jill McDonald, President
I can’t not comment on the ICEMAN stunt – which is so much bigger than a stunt.
A masterclass in sustained attention—executed over time—while holding firmly to an overarching strategy and message for more than a year.
Surrounding fans. Building momentum. Never wavering from the core idea.
Engagement. Memorability. Consistency.
Bravo to Drake’s marketing, creative, execution, and activation teams. Now you can sit back and watch it grow. Insert evil laugh here 😂
I can’t stop thinking about it for a few reasons:
1) The foresight—and the strategic thread—woven across this release, culminating in this stunt and this precise moment in time.
2) A campaign that leaned into digital platforms at exactly the right moments, with content native to each platform.
3) IRL extensions that enabled human participation and created a genuine sense that we are part of something bigger than an album.
4) The groundwork for access to PR, fans, media, culture, sports, and social currency—both in Canada and globally—arguably began when Drake was named Global Ambassador for the Toronto Raptors in 2013. Thirteen years ago. Not by accident.
And yes—
5) Obviously, the love for Drake, generally. I’m still very sad about the 2018 concert I had tickets to that was cancelled last minute. Still working through that…
If you’d like to join the conversation, this was cross posted on Jill’s Linkedin
