Cheers, yo: Liquor companies love rappers' tough-guy rep for their ads

WHEN RÉMY Martin Cognac partnered with rapper Clifford "T.I." Harris, the luxury spirits brand already knew what it had on its hands: a felon.

Unlike kid-friendly Kellogg's cereal, which quickly canceled Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps' endorsement deal after he was caught puffing on a marijuana pipe, the booze bosses have a more cavalier attitude toward their hired names.

"Alcohol companies know [rappers] are doing to do bad stuff and they're not concerned with the drama," said David Allan, an assistant professor for marketing at Saint Joseph's University.

After serving his jail sentence for federal weapons charges and being released from a halfway house on probation last March, T.I. signed on with Rémy Martin to become its global creative consultant. Not only will he help with branding and marketing, but T.I.'s signature blend of Rémy Martin VSOP will join a Ludacris-concocted Conjure brandy and Dr. Dre's high-end Aftermath Cognac, which should appear on liquor store shelves later this month.

Since that announcement, T.I.'s legal troubles have only escalated - he now faces a parole violation after a Sept. 1 arrest for possession of ecstasy.

But T.I.'s unlawful behavior may help Rémy Martin stand out, experts believe.

"If people start wearing 'Free T.I.' shirts, it garners attention for the company," Allan said. "A lot of brands like the drama."

Lil' Kim, who was charged with perjury and conspiracy after lying to a federal grand jury in 2005 and served a year in the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia, is the spokesperson for Three Olives Vodka. Snoop Dogg, who stopped by the Wine & Spirits store at 1218 Chestnut St. on Aug. 27 to promote Landy Cognac, has faced numerous firearm and drug charges.

"These companies are reactionary," said James Peterson, an English professor at Bucknell University who has studied hip-hop culture. "The company isn't concerned about [the rapper's] record. It's consistent with their brand. Any time you sign a brand with a rapper, they're aware of the legal stuff. Alcohol advertisers won't turn up their noses to press."

James Hunt, a Temple University associate marketing professor who specializes in consumer decision-making, agreed, citing T.I.'s criminal background as a plus for Rémy Martin.

"Hip-hoppers [view] themselves as being tough and savvy, so for consumers, it's more of the same," Hunt said. "In some strange way, [T.I.'s arrest] could cement this brand with the hip-hop lifestyle."

Even if Rémy's older, mature XO drinkers don't embrace the hip-hop marketing (and there are cognac blogs that indicate they don't) the VS and VSOP consumers who frequent the nightlife scene are the ones being targeted by Rémy's partnership with T.I.

Not only has Peterson studied hip-hop culture, but he once worked as a consultant for various alcohol companies. He said his main role was to help advertisers navigate and connect to the hip-hop scene.

Part of hip-hop in general - ever since Run DMC claimed "my Adidas" and Busta Rhymes instructed listeners to "pass the Courvoisier" - is lyrical allusions to consumer products, which has a huge impact on what the musicians' audiences buy, Peterson said.

When Jay-Z began mentioning luxury champagne brand Cristal in his raps, the pricey drink became the drink of choice for well-heeled club patrons.

"Entire communities of people had never heard of it before, but afterward, it became what people aspired to drink at bars," Peterson said.

But after Frédéric Rouzaud, the CEO of Cristal's makers, the Champagne Louis Roederer Group, made comments to The Economist magazine in 2006 implying hip-hop could hurt the brand, Jay-Z boycotted Cristal. The rapper publicly stated he refused to drink Cristal again or sell it in his 40/40 nightclubs.

"Suddenly, Cristal diminished in the minds of a whole generation of people," Peterson said.

Of course, Jay-Z was never a paid spokesperson for Cristal. T.I. not only mentioned Rémy in his 2009 song, "Watch What You Say to Me" ("You couldn't see nothing but bottles/Rémy Martin to the noggin"), but he partnered with the brand to become the face of VSOP.

"Liquor is a difficult brand to sell. It has to have an image attached," Allan said. "You don't go into a bar and just say, 'I want some Rémy.' You do it because it says something about you."

"Hip-hop has put certain alcohol brands on the map. Rappers are alluding to very expensive items, and now the alcohol companies are pandering to a specific audience," Peterson said.