• by Liz Tascio , November 28, 2006

More than a year after Hurricane Katrina, the city’s musicians are keeping the heart of New Orleans thumping to its own unique beat. To help them, Southern Comfort, which has its roots in the city, has launched a campaign to raise funds for musicians affected by the storm and to reconnect the brand with the city post-Katrina.

The campaign, “Start the Music Up!,” developed by marketing agency Arnold, includes eight short films about local bands, a compilation CD of local artists, and a branded microsite. Site visitors can donate to Habitat for Humanity and the New Orleans Musicians Hurricane Relief Fund and watch film footage. Arnold, which produced the series with Lucid, sent a creative team to New Orleans to film musicians just prior to Jazz Fest in April. They started with well-known rock band Cowboy Mouth and found others as word spread.

The films are distributed and shown at Southern Comfort-sponsored events, and a cable network wants to air them, says Tracy Brady, VP, Arnold Entertainment Group, Arnold. Cinema showings may be next. The campaign complements the brand’s message, “Start Things Up.”