Cognac brand Hennessy has unveiled a new campaign to promote a limited-edition run of its V.S. bottle, in partnership with basketball superstar LeBron James.

According to the brand, the partnership was formed by a “mutual drive to push boundaries”.

The campaign, devised by creative agency Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam, moves away from traditional advertising and uses memes and tropes created by the basketball star’s fanbase.

The creative is centred around a series of films which see James and Hennessy recreate fan-generated content. In one film, Hennessy creates a book with a single page which LeBron can be seen reading, in response to a meme that said he only read the first pages of books.

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“This campaign is about more than just a product launch,” Hennesy global marketing VP, Laetitia Laplace said.

“Leaning into LeBron’s unique personality, his distinctive voice on social media, and the internet lore around him, we allowed the world to witness this partnership through the most authentic lens possible: LeBron himself.”

Another short film showcases LeBron making cocktails in a hollowed-out basketball, while another highlights him spinning the new limited-edition bottle on his finger.

Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam creative directors, Zeynep Orbay and Evgeny Primachenko, commented: “We wanted to create a campaign that leveraged Hennessy and LeBron’s cultural influence and how they resonate with fans.

“By engaging with conversations and cultural touchpoints that already exist we were able to bring a fresh, unexpected perspective to Hennessy. From a book responding to a meme to tease the partnership through to a basketball-turned-cocktail-shaker, we aimed to create content that was surprising, engaging, and truly unique.”