July 8, 2025, 10:19 am | Read time: 3 minutes
A musician shows humor and sparks a hype around a discount store product. We’re talking about “Linkin Park” frontwoman Emily Armstrong and a specific tracksuit from Lidl.
For weeks, Europe, including Germany, has been in the grip of “Linkin Park” fever. Eight years after the death of frontman Chester Bennington, the band is singing, rapping, and screaming its way back into the hearts of fans–thanks in part to Emily Armstrong, the new frontwoman alongside Mike Shinoda. The 39-year-old is now proving not only her musical prowess but also her potential as a brand ambassador. It all started with an internet meme, continued with Emily Armstrong’s humorous reaction to it, and culminated, at least for now, in a rush for a very specific Lidl tracksuit.
Overview
Emily Armstrong Surprises in Lidl Tracksuit
Scene: Düsseldorf, Perpetrator: Emily Armstrong, Victim: Lidl? Well, the brand is less a victim and more a beneficiary of the musician’s gag. But what exactly happened?
After celebrated concerts in cities such as Hanover and Berlin, Linkin Park performed in Düsseldorf on July 1. In the heat, the band fired up the fans with new and old LP songs, creating what “Express” described as sheer “ecstasy.” The newspaper also reported a surprise moment. Before starting the song “Two Faced,” Emily Armstrong left the stage, only to return in a Lidl tracksuit and Lidl socks.
“Toothpaste, Caught in the Lidl”
“Fashion,” the singer herself captioned a photo she posted on Instagram. But the special fashion statement at the Düsseldorf stadium had a humorous backstory. Emily Armstrong seems to have become aware of an internet meme started by U.S. fans and wanted to acknowledge it with her funny outfit gag. A humorous nod to the German fans, who also know the meme and celebrated the moment accordingly.
The meme involves a funny “misheard lyric” similar to “Agathe Bauer,” where fans seem to hear “Toothpaste, caught in the Lidl” instead of “Two faced, caught in the middle” in the chorus of the song “Two Faced.” So many people initially discussed this on Reddit that the phenomenon apparently reached Linkin Park, especially Emily Armstrong. It was likely no coincidence that she wore the Lidl suit during the song “Two Faced.”
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Reactions from Fans and Brand
Not only live in the stadium but also later under Armstrong’s Instagram post, fans were thrilled by the singer’s humorous action. “No one else can rock a Lidl tracksuit like Em can,” wrote one user under the post. Another person simply commented “Ruhrpottstyle,” while another came up with the new name “Lidlpark.”
And Lidl didn’t sleep on it either, coming up with witty comments that they posted via various international brand accounts under Armstrong’s concert photo. “In the end, only Lidl merch matters,” read a comment from Lidl UK, a clear nod to the Linkin Park lyric “In the end, it doesn’t even matter.” “You understood the assignment,” commented Lidl Belgium, while Lidl France’s social media team wrote, “You come to France, we have toothpaste at Lidl.”
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Tracksuit Becomes a Bestseller
As “Express” reports, Emily Armstrong’s funny stage gag led to a rush on the Lidl online shop, especially for the suit the singer wore. In fact, it is not available online (at the time of writing this article). It is unknown to what extent Lidl was informed in advance about the planned appearance in the tracksuit and thus anticipated increased demand for the product. FITBOOK has inquired with Lidl. As soon as we receive a response, you will read it here.