15578: Drinking And Driving Cases Of Corona & Coronavirus…

 

The beer most associated with the coronavirus continues to hype itself via imagery that wantonly ignores social distancing and mask protocols. Has anyone asked to see Snoop Dogg’s vaccination card?

 

 

14230: Do. No Hammer.

Command Brand went from MC Hammer to Tim Gunn…? That’s like going from Snoop Dogg to Snoopy.

13973: Hip-Hopping To The Top.

Adweek spotlighted Cashmere Agency EVP Chief Creative Officer Ryan Ford, who leveraged his hip-hop connections to succeed in the advertising industry. Gee, that seems to be one of the most common ways for non-White people to elevate in the field.

One Man’s Journey From Hip-Hop Journalist to Creative Chief and Snoop Dogg Partner

Cashmere’s Ryan Ford has run the rap gamut

By Patrick Coffee

Whether it was his brief meeting with Tupac at age 16, his experience Iowa’s only hip-hop radio DJ in the early ’90s or his time working on the first televised Brown and Black Presidential Forum for Democratic candidates to address young minority voters’ concerns in 2000, Ryan Ford realized at a young age that he wanted to make his living at the intersection of hip-hop, politics and pop culture.

Now, 25 years later, he leads creative at Cashmere Agency, Los Angeles’ go-to shop for brands looking to reach those core consumers who closely follow every development in the byzantine world of rap music and its expanding subcultures.

Ford’s official entry to that universe came in a traditional way via an internship at The Source, also known as “the bible of hip-hop.” During his eight-year tenure, he met and profiled the biggest names in rap royalty, including Jay-Z, Kanye West and Queen Latifah. But his journalistic rise occurred just as print media went bust, with readers moving toward rapid-fire, digital-first sources like AllHipHop.com as ad revenues declined. He and a small team of fellow UCLA graduates saw the writing on the (pay)wall and responded by launching their own mini-marketing agency.

Bandit Strategies was a “side hustle” that eventually turned into a full-time job at Cashmere thanks to a relationship with Snoop, who introduced Ford to his business partner and Cashmere co-founder Ted Chung. “I took a leap of faith and said, I’m getting out of the magazine industry and getting into this new world,” Ford said.

One of his first projects with Cashmere involved promoting Father Hood, a 2007 E! reality show focusing on Snoop’s home life. After that series became a surprise hit, E! was eager to work with the agency on what it hoped might be its next smash. According to Ford, network executives said the show’s star was “resonating with not only white audiences, but Hispanics and African Americans as well … she’s racially ambiguous … her name is Kim Kardashian.”

Since then, Cashmere has gone on to help market such properties as FX’s Atlanta and the smash hit film Get Out.

Curriculum vitae

2008-present

Evp, chief creative officer, Cashmere Agency

2005-2010

Co-founder, CEO, Bandit Strategies

2003-2009

Co-founder, Rhyme Night talent showcase

2000-2008

Executive editor, The Source Magazine

Job profile

As head of creative at Cashmere, Ford collaborates with his internal team and a revolving roster of influencers to connect clients like Adidas, Airbnb, Netflix and PepsiCo with young, multicultural consumers fluent in the ever-changing language of hip-hop—its music, its culture and, yes, its brands.

How he got the gig

Ford was a freelance writer and editor at The Source eager to immerse himself in all things hip-hop just as Snoop Dogg began to “become the pitchman we all know today.” After his Bandit Strategies group helped promote a joint Snoop/MTV project called Hip-Hop Gaming League, Ford signed on to work with longtime Snoop associate and Cashmere co-founder Chung as a consultant.

Bottom line

Cashmere isn’t officially a Snoop Dogg joint, but stars like P. Diddy and Jay-Z have moved from launching clothing lines to starting their own marketing agencies. “We’re not TBWA\Chiat\Day or Deutsch, but we’re in here fighting every day,” Ford said. “ … One day, we intend to be that big.”

11178: Pistachio Dependency…?

Does this Pistachios commercial stereotype Snoop?

11131: TBWA & GQ Have Low IQ.

TBWA in Brazil created a campaign for GQ—and displayed its low IQ in terms of cultural cluelessness.

From Ads of the World.

10624: Hot Pockets Go Great With Colt 45 Blast.

Pocket Like It’s Hot shows once again that White ad agencies love hip hop—and Snoop Dogg will do just about anything for money.

9162: Calling Oneself Original Doesn’t Make It So.

This adidas commercial declares, “We are all originals.” Oddly enough, the spot doesn’t feel very original.

9108: Snoop Dogg Scores Points In Chicago.

The Chicago Tribune reported Snoop Dogg started a youth football league in Chicago. Hopefully, the sidelines are stocked with Gatorade versus Colt 45 Blast.

Snoop Dogg launched youth football league in Chicago

The Associated Press

Rapper Snoop Dogg launched a Chicago version of his popular youth football league Saturday, saying he hoped the program will give kids in high-crime neighborhoods a positive release for their energy.

Dancing and high-fiving his way through a large crowd at the Chicago Indoor Sports Facility, the playful entertainer seemed intent on meeting all the kids involved in the inaugural season of the city’s Snoop Youth Football League. Chicago’s is a division of the league he established in Los Angeles in 2004.

Snoop Dogg spent most of his time interacting with the more than 100 football kids and fans, many whom waited several hours for his arrival.

“When I walked into the building, I felt the spirit,” the rapper said of the loud welcome that included non-stop photo flashes. Obviously moved, Snoop Dogg smiled and danced as his songs played in the background.

He credited football, a sport he played growing up, with giving many kids in his California league the incentive to focus on their education and other aspects of their lives. He’s hoping Chicago youth use the program to figure out what they want to do with their lives, and he’s anxious to see how they respond.

“I want to give them something to fight for,” he said of his intentions with the new league. “At the end of the day, they’re our future.”

The league in California has eight chapters with more than 3,000 participants. Chicago’s league will have six chapters with more than 1,500 participants.

Snoop Dogg said the league prides itself on a strong support system, anchored by coaches and parents. “We’re teaching life skills now,” he said, referring to the program’s more-than-football approach.

The rapper’s also proud that his league isn’t afraid to go into some of the most dangerous neighborhoods to reach the young people who live in them.

“We’re going to the toughest areas,” he said. “We’re going to deal with them face to face.”

Chicago’s league starts in August and is open to youth ages 7 to 14. There are six unlimited weight chapters in Humboldt Park, Pilsen, Bridgeport, Cabrini Green, and the city’s South and West sides.

9025: Pharrell Williams Is Serving Drinks.

Add Pharrell Williams to the hip hop artists hawking booze. Snoop Dogg has Colt 45 Blast, Diddy does Cîroc Vodka, Jay-Z handled Budweiser Select—and the list goes on. Williams’ drink, called Qream, targets women. The artist declared, “Qream was created for contemporary women who work hard and want to relax with friends at the end of the day. I want them to reward themselves deliciously. Women make up half the population and Qream is about celebrating that power.” Works every time.

Here’s the news story from NME:

Pharrell Williams launches ‘women’s only’ alcoholic drink

The N.E.R.D man announces ‘Qream’

Producer and N.E.R.D man Pharrell Williams has launched an alcoholic drink just for women.

The drink, called Qream, is being launched in conjunction with drinks giant Diageo. As well as developing the cream liqueur’s flavour, the producer is said to be designing the bottle along with having a hand in marketing and advertising.



He told Allhiphop:

“Qream was created for contemporary women who work hard and want to relax with friends at the end of the day. I want them to reward themselves deliciously. Women make up half the population and Qream is about celebrating that power. To work with Diageo in bringing something original like Qream and the notion of delicious living to market has been a thrill.”

The drink is set to come in two flavours; Strawberry Qream and Peach Qream. Diageo’s Director of Liqueurs Marketing, Anna MacDonald said: “Williams’ ability to interpret and deliver memorable experiences has the potential to allow Qream to become synonymous with women celebrating life with style, class and quality.”



The news comes after Elbow announced that they are currently brewing their own real ale.

8739: Pabst Not Having A Blast.

The Boombox reported that Pabst Brewing Company is under fire for its new Colt 45 Blast being hawked by Snoop Dogg. Shocking. So far, attorney generals in 17 states are asking that the malt liquor manufacturer reduce the alcohol content of the drink. Reduce the alcohol content? Do these guys understand the basic concept behind malt liquor?

Regardless, Pabst Brewing Company is displaying its cultural cluelessness—both in having created the product and in reacting to the protests. “It’s not like our distributors are putting it in the soda section, and these are clearly designated as an alcoholic product,” insisted Pabst owner Daren Metropoulos. “We’re not going to be showing up and selling this at schools or anything like that.” Note to Metropoulos: Being sarcastic in this scenario makes you look like an insensitive racist. Just saying.

ATTORNEY GENERALS CONDEMN SNOOP DOGG’S COLT 45 DRINK

By Theo Bark

Snoop Dogg is once again under fire for Blast by Colt 45, a new alcoholic beverage he endorses.

According to reports, the attorney generals in 17 states are asking that parent company Pabst Brewing Company reduce the alcohol content of the drink, which they claim promotes misuse by underage drinkers, and binge drinking, due to its colorful packaging and endorsement by Snoop.

“Alcohol abuse among young people is a serious and alarming epidemic,” explained Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. “A product like this only serves to glamorize alcohol abuse and promote binge drinking, threatening the safety of those consuming it.”

Blast has been referred to as a “binge-in-a-can” by Madigan’s office, and compared to similarly controversial caffeine and malt liquor drink Four Loko.

Available in a variety of fruit flavors, Blast contains 12 percent alcohol and is sold in a 23.5 ounce can with eye-catching labels said to look like bubble gum wrappers. Snoop has also been criticized by “alcohol industry watchdog” the Marin Institute for his endorsement of the drink.

“It’s not like our distributors are putting it in the soda section, and these are clearly designated as an alcoholic product,” Pabst owner Daren Metropoulos said, defending his new brand. “We’re not going to be showing up and selling this at schools or anything like that.”

Snoop has yet to comment on the latest round of criticism.

8719: Critics Blast Blast By Colt 45.

From The New York Times…

A Line of Brews Draws a Star Endorser, and Critics

By Andrew Adam Newman

SINCE the 1980s, the actor Billy Dee Williams has appeared intermittently in advertising for Colt 45 malt liquor, often with a beautiful woman on his arm and accompanied by the slogan, “Works every time.” Now, to celebrate the introduction of a new product, Blast by Colt 45, a potent fruit-flavored beverage, the brand has a new pitchman, the rapper Snoop Dogg.

In a promotional video on YouTube, Snoop Dogg, a white fur coat over his shoulders and surrounded by models in skimpy dresses, poses for the photographer Estevan Oriol while holding cans of Blast and the original Colt 45. The photos will be used for promotional purposes, like making 7-foot cardboard cutouts featuring the rapper for in-store displays, and for delivery truck decals.

Blast initially is focusing on “viral campaigns with Twitter, Facebook and blogs,” said Evan Metropoulos, who with his brother, Daren, runs Colt 45 as an owner of the Pabst Brewing Company, the brand’s parent company. Pabst was bought in 2010 by Metropoulos & Company, an investment firm started by their father, Dean.

Snoop Dogg has mentioned Blast repeatedly on Facebook, where he has more than eight million followers, and on Twitter, where he has more than 3.1 million. In “Boom,” a single on his new album, “Doggumentary,” he mentions Colt 45 in the lyrics.

“That’s just him being a true partner and saying I’m not just an endorser,” said Daren Metropoulos. “Whether he’s putting it in his songs or having his posse drinking it, it’s part of his lifestyle.”

Available in four flavors — grape, raspberry watermelon, blueberry pomegranate and strawberry lemonade — Blast joins the rapidly growing category of sweetened alcoholic beverages that go by many names, including flavored malt beverages and progressive adult beverages.

But critics, who believe the soda-like flavors and colorful labels appeal to underage drinkers, have their own term: alcopops.

“We have always considered them cocktails on training wheels,” said Michael J. Scippa, public affairs director of the Marin Institute, an alcohol industry watchdog. “It’s a way to bridge young consumers’ fondness for juices and sodas to alcohol.”

The group, which had criticized caffeinated alcoholic brands including Four Loko before they were required by the Food and Drug Administration to remove caffeine from their formulas recently, started an online petition opposing Blast, which in two weeks has been signed by about 1,000 people.

Like Four Loko, Blast is 12 percent alcohol by volume, more than twice most major beer brands, and is sold in 23.5-ounce cans, meaning drinking one (suggested retail price: $2.49) is the equivalent alcohol intake of more than four 12-ounce bottles of beer.

While most alcohol brands follow industry guidelines to advertise only in media outlets where no more than 30 percent of their audience is under 21, Mr. Scippa said that social networks like Facebook and Twitter “are for the most part unrestricted.” As for Snoop Dogg promoting Blast through those networks, and on YouTube, Mr. Scippa said that a “huge segment” of his fans were underage.

Tom Burrell, a former advertising executive and author of “Brainwashed: Challenging the Myth of Black Inferiority,” faulted the company for introducing Blast under the umbrella of Colt 45 and hiring the rapper.

“What is happening here is an obvious attempt to foist this stuff on young African-American men,” Mr. Burrell said. “Colt 45 has invested in the black consumer market for years, and if they weren’t looking for an African-American audience they wouldn’t be using Snoop Dogg.”

In a survey of malt liquor drinkers by Mintel, the market research firm, Colt 45 was the most popular over all, with 25 percent of whites and 34 percent of blacks drinking it. The second and third most popular brands found more favor among whites, with 25 percent drinking Mickey’s compared with 16 percent of blacks, and 22 percent drinking Olde English 800 compared with 17 percent of blacks.

Robert Jackson, a member of the New York City Council, wrote a letter in March to the state liquor board requesting that restrictions be imposed on Blast.

“Blast comes in very colorful cans and bottles and clearly is marketed to kids, just like Four Loko,” said Martin Collins, an aide to Mr. Jackson.

The flavored malt beverage category totaled $967.7 million for the 52 weeks that ended March 20, an increase of nearly 20 percent over the prior year, according to the SymphonyIRI Group, the market data firm whose totals do not include Wal-Mart or liquor stores. (Like beer, the beverages are sold largely in supermarkets and convenience stores.)

The Mike’s Hard Lemonade Company, with other flavors including limeade, leads the category with a 37.1 percent share, followed by Smirnoff Ice varieties, with a 22.7 percent share.

Fruit-flavored alcohol finds more favor with female drinkers, with 62 percent liking it compared with 48 percent of men, according to Mintel. As for age preferences, Mintel polled only legal imbibers, finding the drinks to be most popular among those 21 to 24, with 73 percent approving, and popularity waning steadily with age: 39 percent of those 55 to 64 liked the beverages, and 26 percent of those over 65.

According to American Medical Association findings, 82 percent of teenage girls who have tried the beverages prefer them to beer or other alcoholic drinks, while one-third incorrectly believe they contain less alcohol than beer.

Evan Metropoulos said Blast was formulated partly to appeal to the palates of women, who “wanted an alternative to lager and beer flavors,” and that seven-ounce bottles, sold in six-packs for about $7, will appeal to women more than 23.5-ounce cans, and reflects a commitment to provide smaller sizes to encourage moderation.

The company expects Blast to appeal primarily to consumers in their late 20s or early 30s, he said.

“All we were doing was putting together flavors that were appealing to people that definitely are over the legal age,” said Evan Metropoulos, responding to criticism of Blast. “We’re going to do our very best to hammer home the message of responsible drinking.”

“It’s not like our distributors are putting it in the soda section, and these are clearly designated as an alcoholic product,” added Daren Metropoulos. “We’re not going to be showing up and selling this at schools or anything like that.”

Correction: April 19, 2011
Because of an editing error, the headline on a capsule summary of the Advertising column on Monday, about new promotional videos starring the rapper Snoop Dogg, described incorrectly the product being promoted, Blast by Colt 45. Blast is a fruit-flavored malt beverage; it is not a beer.

8673: Colt 45 Blast Webcast Is A Blast.

No, it’s not an early April Fools’ Day gag. This webcast video features the Colt 45 Blast product that Snoop Dogg will be hawking. It’s a fascinating peek at White marketers tapping Black culture.

Hat tip to Hadji Williams.

8635: Weekend Shots.

Hit by the news in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Wyclef Jean insists he was shot in the hand while campaigning in Haiti for presidential candidate Michel Martelly. But local police claim he was injured by glass. In addition to being denied the opportunity to run for president of Haiti, the recording artist is ineligible to be a gunshot victim as well.

• Snoop Dogg will team up with Colt 45 to launch a new label called Blast by Colt 45, containing fruit flavors and twice the alcohol level of original Colt 45. It works every time—in half the time.

8547: MetroPCS About To Get Less PC…?

Wireless Week reported MetroPCS hired Snoop Dogg to promote the Samsung Galaxy Indulge. Can’t wait to see what the perpetually culturally clueless crew at The Richards Group does with this. Looking forward to a team-up between the rapper and Chad and Ranjit.

6725: Snake And Dogg Bites.

When animals attack in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Something’s fishy about the snake head that turned up in a diner’s broccoli dish at T.G.I. Friday’s. The broccoli had been cooked, but the snake head had not, leading some to speculate it was planted into the meal. Police are now investigating. Actually, people should have been suspicious when the diner ordered a cooked broccoli dish.

• A civil jury ruled Snoop Dogg did not beat up a fan who jumped onto the stage during a 2005 concert. However, Snoop’s posse apparently did attack the man, and he’ll collect about $450,000 from a record label and certain attackers. The victim originally sought $22 million for his beating. As it is, you have to believe future concertgoers will consider bounding the stage to make some easy money.

5939: Traveling Circus.

TGIF with a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Senator Larry Craig’s lawyers were in court on Wednesday asking to void the guilty plea stemming from the infamous toilet stall arrest. Wish these guys would piss or get off the pot.

• Kanye West and his road manager were busted for busting the cameras of paparazzi at LAX. Part of the confrontation was videotaped by a TMZ videographer. There’s gotta be a concept for a Kodak or Sony spot here.

• Snoop Dogg was granted a visa to visit Australia for a concert tour, despite initial reservations from the country’s immigration department. Australian paparazzi are encouraged to carry extra cameras.

• O.J. Simpson will face an all-White jury for his trial after defense lawyers failed in their efforts to put two Black women on the panel. No paparazzi problems to report yet.

5323: No Doggs Allowed.

Dogg droppings in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Britain is appealing a decision to let Snoop Dogg into the country. The artist was banned after an arrest stemming from a 2006 melee with authorities at Heathrow Airport. But in January, a special committee awarded him entry clearance. Note to Dogg: Don’t use Naomi Campbell as a character witness.

5152: Coffee. Pot.

Grinding out the news in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Starbucks drained 600 jobs from its workforce of over 170,000. “We realize that we are operating in an intensely challenging environment, one in which our customers and (employees) have extremely high expectations of Starbucks,” wrote honcho Howrad Schultz in an email. “And we have to step up to the challenge of being strategic as well as nimble as our business evolves. Unfortunately, we have not been organized in a manner that allowed us to have a laser focus on the customer.” As if these job cuts will reduce customers’ wait in line for an over-priced latte.

• JC Penney reported a nearly 10 percent drop in profits for 4Q 2007, although officials blamed it on the poor economy. The retailer probably argues JC Penney can still clothe a family of four for less than a cup of latte at Starbucks.

• Snoop Dogg was busted for smoking marijuana again. “He did not get arrested. He received a ticket for possession of marijuana,” said Dogg’s lawyer. “We are contesting the ticket.” What is this lawyer smoking?

Essay 4578

Taking out the trash in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Snoop Dogg will be collecting trash and scrubbing toilets at a park in Orange County as part of his community service sentence stemming from a plea agreement. The artist knowingly had an illegal weapon in his luggage at a California airport last year (see Essay 4487). He also agreed to donate $10,000 to a children’s charity organization. The park name remains undisclosed to avoid creating a media circus. Right. Look for the secret location to be revealed via the Web within the next two seconds.

• Ann Coulter made anti-Semitic remarks, saying that Jews needed to be “perfected.” The comments coincide with the release of her latest book. Looks like Coulter has perfected the art of hyping her own garbage.

Essay 4559

Garden variety news in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• There’s a new bias lawsuit looming against Madison Square Garden, although this one doesn’t involve the New York Knicks and Isiah Thomas. Two Black women who worked as security supervisors charge that Garden honcho James Dolan is running a “boy’s club,” where they were denied promotions while young White interns who had sex with bosses advanced. Wonder what Thomas would have to say about these women and their accusations.

• Snoop Dogg felt humbled after being recognized at VH1’s fourth annual Hip Hop Honors. “These are guys that I grew up wanting to be like and learning their words and dreaming and hoping and wishing, and now they know who I am and they respect me and they say that my work has put me in the position that I can be commended—it’s unbelievable, I can’t believe it,” said the artist, noting the others who saluted him. “This is the best thing for us to happen for hip-hop, it’s positive. … These awards shows—never no violence it’s never negative, never anything in the media the wrong way, it’s always a great celebration of music and the artists and what they did.” Makes you want to go out and shoot a gun to celebrate.