Less than 12 hours after its digital release, Eminem's latest video, "Survival," boasts over 196,000 likes and thousands more views and shares. The video features Call of Duty: Ghosts gameplay augmenting a story of the rapper's social mobility. The Real Slim Shady stays true to his roots by hitting us with a blast from the past, approaching his childhood home in Detroit at the end of the video, to show us that he hasn't changed... he's only survived.
The video shows us how Eminem survives amidst multiple worlds: the physical realm, the social world and the digital world joined.
1. Adaptation. By placing digital contexts like the Web and video games at the center of his marketing strategy, he shows us that he's "not a rapper, he's an adapter." And he shows us how to adapt as all of our lives are lived on-screen in a fast-paced, socially networked world.
2. Collaboration. The Real Slim Shady is an innovative businessman who's "excited" about being a part of the Call of Duty franchise, connecting himself and his brands to other selves and brands. Among these selves and brands is up-and-coming Canadian band New Royales' singer Liz Rodrigues, who sings the haunting hook. Original Eminem collaborator Dr. Dre reportedly deemed Rodrigues's vocals "the new crack," after her band joined Eminem on his 2010 album, Recovery.
3. Multitasking. We have to perfect the art of multitasking to survive in today's high-tech world. The song, produced by DJ Khalil, takes on many marketing tasks. It premiered about a month ago as part of a trailer for the multiplayer video game Call of Duty: Ghosts. And it catches our attention by appealing to "the establishing reflex," the tendency we have to notice changes in the world around us. The video notes and highlights the changes going on around us, particularly the overlapping of our physical and digital worlds, suggesting not only our call of duty to multitask but our ability to do so as survival of the fittest (and a rockin' business strategy).
4. Determination. Repeating a theme from "Lose Yourself," Eminem tells us that he "ain't takin' a bow" and that he'll "never quit." He shows himself as a role model in that department by having practiced what he's preaching. If we truly want to succeed, we can't allow anything to stop us from pressing ahead toward the fulfillment of our dreams. Survival is not just a fight against the ghosts from our pasts, it's a choice to live out a different future.
5. Sincerity. Ultimately, survival means being who we are and emphasizing our identities, even to the point of parody and absurdity. As Slim Shady, Eminem injects a sense of drama into everyday situations that make them seem epic. Take the idea of not having enough money for diapers the old song "Rock Bottom." Problems like this, problems of regular people, are given a sense of urgency and are overcome through integrity, drive and persistence. By making our everyday situations epic, even our video games, Eminem survives by inviting us into the dramas he presents.
Want to learn more? Check out Eminem: The Real Slim Shady!