Nas assumed his duties as brand ambassador for Hennessy this week by narrating a commercial to announce the liquor brand's new partnership with the NBA. The multi-year deal, which solidifies Hennessy as the Official Spirit of the NBA, WNBA and USA Basketball, was announced on February 10th, ahead of this weekend's 2020 NBA All-Star Game.
"We are pleased to be partnering with the NBA, a forward-thinking league that embodies our ‘Never stop. Never settle.’ mantra," Hennessy’s Senior Vice President Giles Woodyer said in a press release. “There’s an energy pulsing through the NBA that compels it to evolve, to push the limits of its own potential. Our new collaborative journey is rooted in this joint passion and will explore the realms of legacy, culture and innovation.” The NBA mirrored these sentiments, as the NBA Senior Vice President of Media and Business Development, Dan Rossomondo, stated, "Our partnership with Hennessy provides an exciting opportunity to reach and engage with a broader segment of basketball fans around the NBA’s marquee moments. As the iconic brand continues to expand its business in sports marketing, we look forward to creating elevated experiences and unique initiatives that celebrate the game of basketball."
To bring the partnership to life, Nas was asked to narrate a commercial titled “The Lines," in which white contours come together to outline the image of a basketball court and wrap around a bottle of the best-selling Cognac. "The laws of the game say the lines contain it but contain it, they fail,” Nas declares in the clip. "Cross the line. Move the line. Break the line. This game forever grows. Forever spreads. No corner of society out-of-bounds. A cultural force no whistle can stop. The court dimensions may be set. But this game is ever-expanding. The spirit of the NBA.”
Nas, who has been representing Hennessy for almost 7 years now, also hosted the Hennessy All-Star Weekend Gentlemen's Lounge at The Old Post Office in Chicago on Friday, alongside A$AP Ferg.