Russell Westbrook's Hennessy Commercial Inspires An Elusive Demographic
The NBA star's combination of cognac and clothing hopes to lift struggling neighborhoods out of poverty
The spot opens with Russell Westbrook studiously putting some finishing touches on a sweatshirt in a palatial design studio with enormous bay windows. He gesticulates to his team of four associates as he explains his vision in MOS. His associates have progressive hairstyles and dress in all white, and it seems plausible this is taking place in The Matrix.
A staccato voiceover of Westbrook kicks in, as he articulates his reasoning for this passion project. It’s called Honor The Gift.
“My brand is called Honor the Gift, it’s for the inner cities, for under-served communities. The whole point is to inspire people through fashion. It’s important that people use their gift to do whatever they put their mind to. Make moves that make movements, and honor the spirit of the NBA.”
The ad is ridiculous in the sense that nearly every commercial is if you actually pay attention, but up until this point it is following a linear progression. Westbrook is then seen drinking some neat cocktails with his employees, when in what appears to be a jarring non-sequitur an artful display of Hennessy liquor bottles are displayed and he says “Hennessy, the spirit of the NBA.”
Man, this is weird. First I thought it was a commercial for his clothing line, Honor the Gift, which does exist. But then it morphed into ad for Hennessy while referencing some partnership between Hennessy and the NBA. Is it normal to advertise three separate things which are completely unrelated to each other in one thirty second spot?
Conceptually this whole collage is problematic. First, Westbrook states that he is selling one-hundred-and-fifty dollar sweatshirts is “for the inner-cities, for under-served communities.” This clothing is sold retail, he’s not giving it away to the disadvantaged. How exactly could ninety-five dollar sweatpants improve an under-served community? I would submit that the residents would be better served by spending their money more wisely.
The general idea, as best as one could tell, is that poor people should be inspired to do something with their lives because Russell Westbrook, whose albatross of a salary is forty-million dollars this year, has started a side project designing clothing apparently tailored to guys who want to lift themselves out of poverty by looking vaguely homeless.
To further state the obvious, if you want to serve the interests of disadvantaged people, the last thing you should do is encourage them to drink Hennessy. Drinking hard liquor is really the last thing a struggling person should be doing, maybe besides buying this heinous clothing.
The question that’s on everyone’s mind is: What the fuck relation does this clothing line have to do with Hennessy? Aren’t they completely unrelated products? If you had to pick one, what is this a commercial for?
My best guess is that Hennessy is sponsoring several ‘entrepreneurs’ ‘of color’ who ‘embody the fighting spirit that Hennessy has fostered for generations’ or some similar pablum. That’s cool and all, but most people aren’t participating in the capitalist system because they’re unmotivated, they just don’t have forty million dollars.
If Westbrook or Hennessy actually wanted to help the situation, which they obviously do not, they would be better off encouraging people not to drink Hennessy. This woke-washing nonsense is constant now, and it’s annoying.
The final perplexing cherry on top of this ill-conceived sundae is the closing line, “Hennessy, the spirit of the NBA.” Is it? When I think of Hennessy I picture a guy who thinks he’s ballin’ out at The Cheesecake Factory.
The NBA’s mission statement is to “Inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball.” While drunk.
They may want to amend this with “As long as they aren’t in Taiwan or some other territory occupied by the People’s Republic of China.”
If you pay attention, everything is complete bullshit. But this unwittingly articulates the Spirit of Bullshit precisely.