The new album by rapper Drake, the ninth in his long musical career, is called “Iceman” and will be published on May 15. The date, unknown until now, has been the central theme of a marketing campaign that has turned ice into its main narrative resource and the surprise factor into the key to generating notoriety.

In line with marketing trends in the music industry, focused on turning releases into authentic social events, the artist has sought to turn communication into a participatory and immersive experience for his fans. To do this, it has turned to entertainment and the “drop culture” as a lever to connect an approach that has included different media, formats and activations.

The most notable has been the giant block of ice located in the center of Toronto, his hometown, and which hid the release date of the album, as Drake himself announced on his social networks with the simple message “Release date inside. 81 Bond Street Downtown Toronto.”

The action has been devised by Creative Director Matte Babel, who has been working with the rapper for some time; and designed and produced by Mawg Deisgn. Its installation, as shared by the design studio, has required 30 hours of work and more than 450,000 kilos of ice.

The rapper has called on his followers to destroy the ice and, with this, discover the release date of the album. Drake fans have responded by applying all kinds of techniques and materials, from hammers and pickaxes to fire. The large sculpture has attracted a multitude of curious onlookers, who have made their way through a strong police force and have shared their attempts on social networks, making the activation go viral in just a few hours.

A treasure found live

Finally, it was the content creator Kishka who found a waterproof bag hidden in one of the large blocks of ice and announced the expected date. The influencer, presumably involved in the marketing strategy, has broadcast the entire process through his social networks and also on Twitch.

After finding the bag, the creator went to Drake’s house, where he revealed the contents. The bag included a magazine with several graphic pieces and illustrations about the album and keys to the songs it will include. As can be seen in the shared video, Kishka has interacted with Drake from a distance and has received a monetary reward for his performance.

The deployment has also been reported by the media, both local and international, which report that the large block of ice finally had to be dissolved by firefighters. Additionally, the performance has caused chaos in the city center due to the crowd, and has become a stage where creators are generating content or fans are celebrating the artist.

The notoriety of the action has also caught the attention of some brands. Fiskars, dedicated to tools and equipment, has taken the opportunity to join the conversation around the strategy, highlighting the hammer used by Kishka to break the ice. In a humorous tone, it has issued a statement on its social networks apologizing for the role played by its products in revealing the release date of “Iceman”.

“Iceman” teasers

The installation of ice is not the first action of the promotional strategy deployed to announce “Iceman.” Over the last few months Drake has been generating excitement with other executions, such as the one recently carried out with the Toronto Raptors basketball team. Some chairs at the foot of the court, the rapper’s usual seat when he goes to watch a game, appeared “frozen.”

In July 2025, Drake already teased the album that will be released on May 15. He made a streaming in which he was seen driving one of the trucks of the ice company The Iceman, based in Toronto, and arriving at the center of the city where his presence aroused the interest of passersby. During the video some of the songs that will be part of the album were heard.