Fake Drug Ads Spark Eminem Album Speculation
Earlier today, Eminem’s manager Paul Rosenberg posted a photo on Instagram with a suspicious ad for a drug called Revival in the background. The logo for the drug features the same backwards “E” from Eminem’s logo. As it turns out, the “Revival” campaign was placed by Eminem’s label Interscope Records, according to a print ad directory found by Reddit users. The fake drug even has a website with an 800-number and an elaborate video. All of the materials make subtle references to the rapper’s work.
The site features a video for the medication, which treats “Atrox Rithimus.” Despite having all the beats of a traditional prescription drug advertisement, it makes multiple “Lose Yourself” references. The video also plays the melody of Dr. Dre’s “I Need a Doctor” featuring Eminem and Skylar Grey, and at one point, the man in the commercial lauds the drug’s ability to “keep that shit under control.” When you call the number, a pre-recording goes through the list of nonsensical side effects (which include having a “highly combustible head”) before saying, “Thank you for continuing to hold—we give you some serious fucking credit for sticking with this.” Pitchfork has reached out to Eminem’s representatives for comment.
Eminem’s last album was 2013’s The Marshall Mathers LP 2. At this year’s BET Hip-Hop Awards, he dropped a freestyle that criticized Donald Trump and called out any of his fans who support the president. Earlier this year, he celebrated the 15th anniversary of The Eminem Show with special bundles of t-shirts, autographed posters, and the LP on cassette.
This story originally appeared on Pitchfork.
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