In late March Hpnotiq will launch a new animated show about a fictional bar where rappers Fat Joe and Jim Jones hang out and enjoy Hpnotiq.

Part of a brand pivot to reach consumers when bars and clubs remain closed, the series – called The HQ – will stream weekly on the brand’s social media channels.

The animated feature is not just a first for Hpnotiq. It’s a first for any spirit brand, said Brittany Wenig, Associate Brand Manager. “No spirits brand has ever created an 8-episode animated series, featuring talent and relevant topics,” she said. “The series will not only speak to our current core consumer, but also open many doors to speak to new audiences.”

When Hpnotiq launched 20 years ago, the signature blue liqueur quickly became “the drink” consumers wanted to be seen drinking in the hottest clubs. Heavy-hitting rappers like Ludacris, Missy Elliot, Jay-Z and Lil’ Kim helped to define the Hpnotiq lifestyle, promoting the brand in music videos, on stage and in their rap lyrics.

In the years that followed, Hpnotiq has continued to drive engagement with its Millennial and heritage audiences. In 2020, as events increasingly became virtual, and influencers transitioned more to digital platforms, the Hpnotiq team also began looking for new ways to entertain and connect digitally.

“Whether it’s the newest Netflix series to binge or a virtual concert on Instagram, innovative content galvanizes communities on social media,” said Jenna Levinson, Account Director for Team Epiphany, a New York-based marketing and creative agency the Hpnotiq brand team has engaged to promote the liqueur. “With this in mind, our content will mimic and lean into the motifs and themes of TV shows with Hpnotiq as the focal point.”

Team Epiphany wrote all the scripts for the show and contracted the talent while working with a third-party production company to animate the series. Fat Joe will appear in all eight of the 60- to 90-second shows, with Jim Jones appearing in half, along with a reoccurring cast of characters that work and come into the bar regularly.

The HQ follows an episodic format which allows for a new story to be told in each episode, and, because the content is animated, it can be as imaginative as possible.

The series will run across all social media platforms managed by Hpnotiq as well as to Fat Joe and Jim Jones’s millions of followers.

To build excitement around the series, Hpnotiq launched a contest, which gave consumers an opportunity to both submit original music and win a chance to record with Fat Joe and Jim Jones. The team has already selected the winner, whose recorded track will become the theme song to the series, introduced on the first episode.