Rapper Nasir “Nas†Jones and Hennessy– the world’s #1 selling Cognac–have a solid bond that goes way back to his ‘Illmatic’ debut, when he name dropped the brand.
In fact, 2016 marks the 4th year of the partnership between Nas and Hennessy. The brand has entrusted the wordsmith to narrate its new campaign, “The Piccards,” as part of the award-winning “Wild Rabbit†campaign, centered on the theme of pushing the limits of one’s own potential. Tagline: “Never stop. Never settle.” Not only is Nas widely regarded as one of the greatest lyricists in hip-hop, he also is an Emmy-winning voiceover artist.
This year’s theme centers on the remarkable true story of Auguste Piccard, who in 1931 became the first man to reach the stratosphere, and his son Jacques who, nearly 3 decades later, became the first man to reach the deepest depths of the ocean. The creative spot champions the Piccards’ intergenerational chase of the Wild Rabbit by demonstrating the power of ambition and relentless drive to achieve. Fans of the Star Trek mythology who are familiar with one of the ship’s iconic captains, Jean Luc Piccard, may take to heart that the inspiration for his name comes from a long legacy of adventurous real life Piccards.
For Hennessy, the Wild Rabbit chase is the brand’s 250-year pursuit of perfection in Cognac. Now in its 5th year, Hennessy’s campaign has highlighted cultural icons, those that constantly push themselves to the next level; past faces of the campaign include musician Erykah Badu, award-winning filmmaker Martin Scorsese and Nas.
“I still look up to those who came before me. The jazz legends who left an impact way beyond the world of entertainment to be truly worthy of their legacy. That’s my Wild Rabbit,†says Nas.
The notion that great things may be achieved when we push the limits of our potential is intrinsic to Nas and made evident in all of his endeavors, from music and film to business and philanthropy. Not to mention he is backing some of the nation’s groundbreaking startups. The Queens, New York-bred artist who first hit the charts more than 20 years ago has quietly metamorphosed into a prolific investor – founding the Los Angeles-based venture capital firm QueensBridge Venture Partners. The firm funnels cash into more than 40 start-ups in sectors as varied as healthcare, music production, financial technology, and Bitcoin.
The new “Piccards” rollout injects a bit of marine biology and aerodynamics into the mix, giving the brand’s videography a completely new aesthetic.