AintNoJigga - 11/24/2019
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\u201c50/50 venture with them, S. Dots kickin\u2019 off, Armadale poppin\u2019 now, only bring a nigga more\u201dJay-Z and Dame Dash, photographed on stage while performing during the inaugural \u201cSprite Liquid Mix Tour\u201d in August 2002. Always geniuses of cross-promotion, Dame is holding a bottle of Armadale vodka and wearing Rocawear, while they are both wearing a Roc-A-Fella Records chain.
After Jay-Z had first name-dropped Armadale on \u201cAll I Need\u201d off The Blueprint in September 2001, in July 2002 it was revealed that a multi-million \u201cstrategic relationship to market and promote\u201d deal between Roc-A-Fella Records and the spirit\u2019s Scottish distillers William Grant & Sons had resulted in the Roc investing in the superpremium vodka and holding the exclusive rights of distribution for North America. A press release at the time stated that \u201cRoc-A-Fella has always respected quality vodkas, such as Belvedere and Grey Goose. Just like we do with all of our businesses, we wanted to present a vodka that represented the best, and we feel Armadale is of elite quality.\u201d All three of the label\u2019s co-founders were equal investors in the brand, but Dame and Kareem \u201cBiggs\u201d Burke would take the lead on the project and organize the day-to-day business. At the launch of Roc-A-Fella the three had plans to develop a fully fledged Roc Spirits division over time, and Armadale was to be the first brand on the shelf.
The Roc/Armadale partnership was a milestone for hip-hop, as no other entrepreneur in the culture had ever owned a piece of the liquor brand that they were promoting. There are no doubts that this would open more doors and set the standard for any and all future deals between liquor companies and musicians. Once again y\u2019all your fave has Hov to thank.
#JAYZ @duskopoppington @rocawear @armadalevodka
1. Roc-A-Fella co-founders Jay-Z, Dame, and Biggs had spent years watching themselves and their artists giving free endorsements to liquor brands in their songs and videos, and were now looking to keep the money in the family. \u201cWe know what kind of influence we have over our demographic, and we like to capitalize on every opportunity,\u201d Dash told the Wall Street Journal in December 2002.
2. In the past liquor companies had approached Hov with sponsorship deals, but none had offered adequate compensation for the marketing support. In a rare interview for the Roc\u2019s silent partner, Biggs explained to the Edinburgh newspaper The Scotsman that \u201cYou always hear about us talking about [liquor brands], so like with the clothing and the music industry, we thought: \u2018Why are we still making money for everyone else?\u2019 So we just acquired the company and said, \u2018Let\u2019s do it ourselves.\u2019\u201d He also spoke on what they believed Armadale\u2019s place in the alcohol market was, explaining that \u201cit is not just for [those in] hip-hop. Of course that might be our initial sales, because of our demographic\u2014there are two million people we have a tight hold on. But [Armadale is] going to reach way more than that. That\u2019s why it\u2019s still Armadale, and not Roc-A-Vodka or some crazy shit like that. [People will] buy it because it\u2019s a quality product.\u201d
3. Jay had always used his music as a sales platform for the Roc\u2019s business endeavors, and his co-signing of a product or trend would always led to stimulated sales. Rocawear had made $80 million in its first 18 months of business thanks to Jigga\u2019s status in the game. Thus, bottles of Armadale soon began appearing in Jay\u2019s music videos, Dame was bringing bottles onto the red carpet, it was being served at industry parties and sold at The 40/40 Club, and shown in the background of Roc Films productions. The triple-distilled imported vodka retailed for around $30, and in their first year in charge of the North American distribution the Roc helped the spirit gross more than $2 million in sales in a limited market\u2014only a select few venues in New York, Miami and Los Angeles carried the bottles.
4. The purchase of Armadale had come amidst rumors of troubles between Jay and Dame, but they continued to work together on the brand until late-2004. At one point Jay \u0430nd Biggs reportedly refused t\u043e allow Dame t\u043e spend $3 m\u0456ll\u0456\u043en \u043en \u0430 single print ad campaign f\u043er Armadale, in which he wanted to feature Kevin Bacon and Naomi Campbell. In the Spring of 2005 Dame went ahead with this idea, but instead used the Rocawear budget for a new season campaign. In the print campaign Bacon can be seen holding a glass of clear liquid, as an opened Armadale bottle sits on the table next to him.
5. In the wake of the split of the Roc\u2019s three co-founders in late-2004, Dame and Biggs bought Jay out of the spirits brand and had taken full control of Armadale. The name-dropping of the brand by Hov ceased. By 2009 the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office database listed the brand as \u201cDEAD.\u201d A re-launch of the brand came in 2012.
6. In September 2005 Dame Dash sold his stake in Rocawear to the clothing company\u2019s partners in a $30 million deal. He was delivered $22 million in cash, and $8 million worth of stock in companies such as State Property, Team Roc, Pro-Keds and other entities. This severed the last of the business ties between Hov and Dame. \u201cNow that I know the business world, I don\u2019t need partners,\u201d Dash told AllHipHop at the time. \u201cI got my own connects with the bank.\u201c
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