Cognac makes appeal to younger clients with sensory approach

DDB's Shanghai and Paris offices have collaborated to launch a new campaign for Hennessy X.O, which aims to make the brand more exciting for younger drinkers.

Ad Nut has been so visually inundated by alcohol ads showcasing swirling spirits and elaborate bottles that Ad Nut has become desensitised to alcohol. In fact, Ad Nut once confused whiskey with cognac, much to the distaste of a human connoisseur and colleague.

Anyway, the brand is calling its 146-year-old cognac a "new-lux spirit", hoping to broaden the appeal of the drink with the tagline “Each drop of Hennessy X.O is an odyssey. Don’t wait to experience greatness”.

The ad is directed by acclaimed Cannes film director Nicolas Winding Refn, who naturally elevates his ad to the level of a movie. "I'm very proud of it," he said in a release. "It's a piece of art. It's a concept revolution. It's quite different from a traditional ad.”

Ad Nut isn't so sure about the 'art' claim, but has to admit that the French do have a way with sensory marketing. Seven 'chapters' in the ad—Sweet Notes, Rising Heat, Spicy Edge, Flowing Flame, Chocolate Lull, Wood Crunches, and Infinite Echo—each supposedly represent Hennessy X.O’s different textures, notes, moods and elements.

Prior to this the brand's marketing strategy, with its Hennessy Artistry tour, has been quite similar to other cognacs, with a focus on stars and strass.

Ad Nut is liking the vivid imagery, rich colours and haunting score. Now where's Ad Nut's snifter?