NBA sponsor Hennessy teamed up with Droga5 for a diverse cultural journey which urges fans to strive to make an impact beyond the basketball court. Launched on 1 June during the 2021 Playoffs, the initiative tipped off with a short film helmed by Division7 Director Joshua Kissi and fronted by nine-time All-Star and former league MVP Russell Westbrook.
The cognac brand’s campaign celebrates and supports those taking the game further and extends its existing ‘Unfinished Business’ platform to its NBA partnership by leaning in to the power of the league, its teams and players to encourage dynamic moves in support of an ongoing movement to provide motivational and material support to help Black, Asian and Latin small business owners in response to inequities exacerbated by Covid-19 (with more than $5m of funding distributed thus far).
Hennessy, the world’s best-selling cognac and also the Official Spirit of the NBA (and of the WNBA, NBA G League and USA Basketball), debuted the campaign during the second round of the playoffs and the work rolled out across broadcast, digital and social channels. The lead film opens by depicting basketball’s journey and evolves to demonstrate the places the game can take everyone/anyone and shines a light on communities that are moving the culture forward.
Westbrook, the Washington Wizards point guard, fashion director and entrepreneur, appears alongside artist Victor Solomon and Hoop York City founder Alex Taylor and the film opens with Westbrook narrating: “They say this game can take you far. They never told you how far you can take the game.”
The hero spot is supported by a set of launch social content, while Hennessy also offers valuable NBA memorabilia and via auctions and social giveaways (including items like Westbrook’s game-worn custom NBA Black History Month warm-up shirts, plus autographed basketballs and more). All proceeds will go to One Hundred Black Men, the Hispanic Federation and the Asian American Business Development Center in honour of Unfinished Business.
Hennessy will also continue to run proactive engagement in key markets which see it work with the NBA and each of its 10 partner teams to offset economic and social setbacks in local communities.
“Two things that have made me who I am today are my drive on the court and inspiring and impacting others beyond the game of basketball,” said Westbrook (who also made an ‘Unfinished Business’ donation to help facilitate positive change). “Working with Hennessy, I’m able to continue expanding my legacy to make a meaningful impact and keep inspiring others.”
“The NBA has always demonstrated a desire to push the game to new heights and into new arenas of culture,” said Hennessy USA Senior VP Jasmin Allen. “Led by the actions of players, the league and the larger basketball communities that embody Hennessy’s ‘Never Stop. Never Settle’ ethos.The game’s influence goes well beyond the court to impact communities around the world.”
The campaign was created by a team at agency Droga5 NY that included Co-Chief Creative Officer Felix Richter, Global Head Of Art Alexander Nowak, Creative Director Haywood Watkins Iii, Copywriter Nate Richards, Art Director: Macaihah Broussard, Associate Design Director Albie Eloy, Designer Olivia Piazza, Junior Designer Kevin McCallum, Associate Director Of Film Ruben Mercadal, Senior Producer Film Samar Zaman, Associate Producer Film Hugh Copeland, Senior Music Supervisor Mike Ladman, Music Supervisor Sarah Tembeckjian, Director Of Business Affairs Dan Simonetti, Celebrity Talent Relations Lead Whitney Vose, Senior Business Affairs Manager Ann Marie Turbitt, Associate Director Of Art Production Bianca Escobar, Executive Producer Of Print & Fabrication Alyssa Dolman, Retouchers Mike Vorrasi, Natasha Kaser and John Clendenen, with Graphics Studio Manager Michael Mockler, Chief Brand Strategy Officer Harry Roman-Torres, Strategy Director Drew Simel, Senior Strategist Justin Clagette, Group Communications Strategy Director Delphine Mckinley, Senior Communications Strategist Tattiana Bamba, Group Data Strategy Director Christina Fieni, Senior Data Strategist Daria Koren, Group Account Director Lindsay Cole, Account Director Jordan Cappadocia, Account Manager Sydney Golden, Associate Account Manager Sela Betz and Project Manager Danielle Gibbons.
The campaign was briefed by a combined Moët Hennessy marketing team which included President (North America) Seth Kaufman, SVP North America Jasmin Allen, VP Brand Marketing Derek Ruediger, Brand Director Hennessy Isadora Bailly, Brand Director Hennessy XO & Innovations Rachel Li, Global President & CEO Hennessy Laurent Boillot, Global CMO Hennessy Julie Nollet, Global VP Marketing Hennessy Premium Range Amanda Hawk, Global VP Marketing Hennessy Super Premium Bertrand Landreau and Global VP Marketing Prestige Brands Emmy Aoun Gestin.
The production company was Divison7 with Director Joshua Kissi, DOPs Logan Triplett and Minka Farthing-Kohl, Executive Producers David Richards and Kamila Prokop and Producer Luigi Rossi. The photographer was Joshua Kissi and editorial was by Cut + Run, post production by The Mill NY and music was handled by Music House and Wave Studios.
Comment:
Building on the 30-second ‘Start Movements’ anthem, Hennessy plans to extend its ‘Unfinished Business’ platform to the NBA: encouraging teams and players to launch and support community projects nationwide.
This is a campaign which shows not just a sense of the cultural zeitgeist, but also an understanding of the power, teach and scope of the NBA’s cultural impact as a social driver and a grassroots force for good.
It underscores the league’s expanding influence beyond sport into street culture, fashion, music and rights.
Some similar themes were explored in the NBA’s own recent Idris Elba-voiced playoff ‘That’s Game’ campaign and even in Nike’s latest ‘Play New’ brand platform which both explore enriching lives beyond the field of play.
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