“Boonununus” features Philadelphia’s own DJ Drama, a Grammy Award winner and newly crowned BET Hip-Hop DJ of the Year, and Jamaican Dancehall singjay Mr. Vegas to capture the essence of the campaign in one seamless activation.
The campaign shows appreciation for the Jamaican community, one of the largest Caribbean groups, in Philadelphia.
The campaign will feature complimentary services covered by Western Union at select Philadelphia restaurants, barber shops, and hair salons.
PHILADELPHIA: Western Union has launched a first-of-its kind campaign that celebrates Jamaican language and culture in Philadelphia, and it features Philadelphia’s own DJ Drama, a Grammy Award winner and newly crowned BET Hip-Hop DJ of the Year; and Jamaican Dancehall singjay Mr. Vegas to capture the essence of both cultures in one seamless activation.
The “Boonununus” campaign which runs up to December 31, 2022 is rooted in the insight that when people send money, they are sending love, possibilities, support, and the opportunity to create more happy moments and memories. Jamaicans use the word “boonununus” to describe something delightful and pleasing. Centering the campaign around the “boonununus” moment of sending money via Western Union free of charge is the perfect opportunity to celebrate Jamaica in a unique way.
The goal of the “Boonununus” campaign is to create an ecosystem of happy moments anchored in giving back to the community and merged with passion points like music and dancing. The result is a unique, ground-breaking musical collaboration between the Philly-native DJ Drama and Mr. Vegas, one of Jamaica’s most recognized voices in Dancehall.
DJ Drama was tapped for the “Boonununus” campaign based on his love for his Philly roots, family, friends, and supporters. Mr. Vegas, one of Jamaican dancehall’s most successful and distinctive artistes, was a seamless match for a collaboration as the idea for the campaign took root. After four days working in studio in separate locations, they landed “Boonununus” with its signature rally cry and just might have a hit single in the making.
Honoring the roots of “boonununus”, as Western Union shows gratitude to the Jamaican community, the campaign will feature complimentary services covered by Western Union at eight handpicked local businesses: restaurants, barber shops, and hair salons. On November 19 and 20, and on December 9 and 10, clients and customers will be happier at Aicha African Hair Braiding, Universal Hair Gallery, Pikete Barbershop, Island Taste Jamaican Restaurant, Shana’s Caribbean Café, Fritay Lakay Restaurant, Mumy Awa African, and Ruby’s Roof Jamaican Restaurant which will be serving up complimentary services under the campaign umbrella. The campaign will also feature $0 fee money transfers for new digital customers sending money to Jamaica, urging them to send money to loved ones back home.
There are large concentrations of Jamaicans in the US South and US East who emigrated for lucrative job opportunities, to study, or to rejoin family. This far-reaching diaspora of first and second generations with higher economic net worth regularly support their extended family outside of the US. Last year, Jamaica reported an inflow of remittances worth US$4 million.
DJ Drama, is a Philadelphia-born DJ, record executive and music promoter. He’s a Grammy Award winner and newly crowned BET Hip-Hop DJ of the Year. DJ Drama is the co-founder (with Don Cannon) of Generation Now, an Atlantic Records imprint with artists including Lil Uzi Vert, Jack Harlow, and Skeme on its roster. He initially gained recognition as the official DJ for Atlanta rapper T.I. and as a prominent mixtape DJ with his series, Gangsta Grillz. Numerous artists have appeared on DJ Drama’s Gangsta Grillz tapes, including Lil Wayne, Fabolous, Ludacris, Jeezy, Gucci Mane, and many others. He was a co-founder of the Atlanta-based DJ and artist collective known as the Aphilliates. Drama has released 5 studio albums, curating tracks with some of the industry’s most lucrative talent, the most recent of which being Quality Street Music 2 in 2016.
Mr. Vegas is one of Jamaican dancehall’s most successful and distinctive artists, the instantly recognizable voice behind so many of the genre’s definitive anthems. From his breakthrough hits “Heads High” and “Nike Air,” to modern classics like “Tek Weh Yuh Self” and “Bruk It Down,” he’s a one-man hits jukebox recognized as much for his dynamic personality as he is for his electric live shows.
