Rap happy companies rush to take their hip hop loyalty oaths in the wake of the Jay-Z/Cristal disaster:
Noel Hankin, vice president of multicultural initiatives at Moet Hennessy USA…which markets Hennessy, Dom Perignon and Belvedere, among other drinks, said his company welcomes the association.
"We appreciate that business. We want it. It’s critical to our business success," Hankin said. "We’ve never had any hesitation or reservation about embracing the hip-hop community."…
"Hip-hop is really a language of the younger generation and it’s always great for a brand to be relevant with the younger or next generation of buyers," said Kass Dawson, who heads emerged markets at Mercedes-Benz.
"We consider it a compliment of the highest order…It really speaks to what our brand stands for – the success, status, aspirations."
Cadillac spokesman Kevin Smith gave props to celebrities, including rappers, and their fondness for the Escalade for the company’s resurgence.
Related:
Jay-Z Puts a Cap on Cristal
Cristal screwed up, plain and simple. BTW Laura has a great post on this, if you haven’t already seen it:
http://ries.typepad.com/ries_blog/2006/06/cristal_kicks_i.html
I don’t think Cadillac has backed that sentiment up with its actions. See: The halting of the Snoop De Ville and David Banner not working with them on “Cadillac on 22s” after the Matrix franchise stepped in the picture and “distracted” the company from working with a relatively small rapper.