Bringing an iconic early-aughts brand back to cultural greatness.
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In 2015, Hpnotiq tasked Team Epiphany with increasing consumption amongst two consumer sets: (1) multicultural millennials who may recognize the brand from their favorite old school hip-hop songs, but have not purchased the product and (2) "heritage" Gen-X consumers, whose passion for the brand they remember so fondly may have faded since the early aughts.
Hpnotiq needed national attention, but more specifically, to increase volume in two key US markets: Atlanta and New York.
To do so, Hpnotiq would aim to remind the target that it is the only brand with a right to participate in hip-hop culture.
We teamed up with Cam'ron to produce "Word Up," a digital video starring Cam as all the characters in a 2000s-themed game show that utilized the brand's new throwback aesthetic. Prior to the video's premiere, stills captured behind-the-scenes were teased on Reddit, giving users the chance to customize Cam against a green screen.
OOH appeared in mass transit hubs throughout Atlanta and New York City.
Yung Jake took product placement to the next level by theming his entire music video for "Both" around the product. Released via Snapchat, the video was split across screens and required two phones to view in entirety. On a personal note, this was the closest I ever felt to getting fired because of a piece of creative.
Draya Michele became the face of the brand in a video that poked fun at art-house fragrance commercials. The ad teased a faux Hpnotiq "perfume," bordered on the ridiculous and triggered Twitter audiences to debate if the fragrance was real.
We sent out era appropriate seeding kits complete with working Motorola Startacs (some from my dad’s, a Verizon employee’s, personal stash) to influencers.
Then we topped it all off with an epic house party at the iconic Webster Hall in NYC where Cam’ron and Vashtie performed.
This is officially the coolest I’ve ever been.