• by Larissa Faw , July 7, 2014

Spirits brand New Amsterdam Vodka continues to party. Last year, the company and San Francisco-based agency MUH-TAY-ZIK | HOF-FER launched the brand's first national TV advertising campaign centered on the "It's Your Town" concept that shows images of party photos with proclamations such as "going out is your civic duty" and "model citizen." 

Now, MUH-TAY-ZIK | HOF-FER has written and created the rap song "All Hail Now" featured in New Amsterdam Vodka's latest "All Rise" commercial and performed by Brooklyn rapper and recording artist Crown.

The rap song resonates with the overall campaign's concept based on the idea that young people feel they are at the heart of the city in which they live. With that “ownership” comes official responsibilities to get out -- not just to enjoy the city, but also to make social contributions, per the agency.

And it is that sense of “officialdom” that brought the ad agency to Beacon Street Studios, where together with Crown they crafted just the right optimistic and anthem-like song track.

Crown represents a departure from the status quo of the pop music landscape typically featured in alcohol brand campaigns, though New Amsterdam featured the rapper in earlier commercials. "The first song (“Love My People”) was one that Crown was already working on," said John Matejczyk, executive creative director, founder, MUH-TAY-ZIK | HOF-FER. "The challenge came in extending the variety while staying on brief. We conceived the second song together as we sought to make even more official sounding proclamations that brought together civic pride and your duty to party."

When we went to Beacon with the brief of music that celebrates civic pride, and they thought the connection made sense," says Matejczyk. "We agreed." 

New Amsterdam will introduce additional components of this campaign with Beacon Street Studios this fall, although there are no plans for other music partnerships at the moment.