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October 21, 2006
Jay-Z Draws an Ace of Spades Brand; Cristal Pulls a Deuce Brand Name
Decanter.com reports that Jay-Z has officially dissed Cristal champagne and has unofficially endorsed "The Ace of Spades," Armand de Brignac after Cristal boss Frédéric Rouzaud made some ill considered disparaging, racist comments about the musician's fondness for his high-end brand name champagne.
In response, Jay-Z seems to have gone out of his way to make clear to his fans that Cristal is no longer his tipple of choice: in his new music video, "Show Me What You Got," Jay-Z sends back a bottle of Cristal and is presented instead with a silver briefcase containing a bottle of Armand de Brignac.
Some bloggers are predicitng that this will start an exodus away from Cristal, something that Armand CEO Brett Berish clearly is thrilled about. Berish welcomed his wine’s (seemingly unexpected) inclusion in the new video with a gushing press statement expressing praise for Jay-Z’s "highest standards and finest taste."
The Armand de Brignac brand name may not be well known, but it is indeed high end and with its swanky gold bottle and luxury price positioning, it is sure to experience a windfall from Jay-Z fans who look set to bring some bling to this established champagne brand name name.
I find it inconceivable that Cristal would go out of its way to insult one of its highest profile drinkers, a celebrity whose association with its brand name gives it instant credibility among a very hard to please target market.
Cristal's poor judgment and shortsightedness will be Armand de Brignac's gain, and well it should be. To get such high profile product placement with such a well known celebrity — for free — is simply a brand naming dream come true.
Pop the corks, Ace of Spades brand, you’ve got it made.
Technorati Tags: Champagne, Hip-Hop, Product Placement, Celebrities, Endorsements
Posted by William Lozito at October 21, 2006 5:40 PM
Posted to Branding
| Marketing
| Spirits
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