Title	EACH DROP OF HENNESSY X.O IS AN ODYSSEY
Brand	HENNESSY
Product/Service	HENNESSY X.O
Category	C06. Use of New Technology
Entrant	DDB PARIS, FRANCE
Idea Creation	DDB PARIS, FRANCE
Production	STINK Paris, FRANCE
Additional Company	THE Paris, FRANCE

Name	Company	Position
Alexander Kalchev	DDB Paris	Executive Creative Director
Alexis Benbehe	DDB Paris	Creative
Pierre Mathonat	DDB Paris	Creative
Xavier Mendiola	DDB Paris	Agency Supervisor
Marine Hakim	DDB Paris	Agency Supervisor
Jessica Ferris	DDB Paris	Agency Supervisor
Thomas Moradpour	Hennessy	Advertiser's Supervisor
Antoine Varlet	Hennessy	Advertiser's Supervisor
Aurelie Lim	Hennessy	Advertiser's Supervisor
Khoa Dodinh	Hennessy	Advertiser's Supervisor
Sophie Mégrous	DDB Paris	Head of TV
Martin Mangez	DDB Paris	Planner
Greg Panteix	Stink	Executive Producer
Juliet Naylor	Stink	Producer
Nicolas Winding Refn	Stink	Director
Natasha Braier	Stink	DoP
Joseph Bennet	Stink	Production Designer
Matt Newman	Stink	Editor
Cliff Martinez	-	Composer
Guillaume Raffi	Nightshift	VFX producer
Adrien Servadio	Nightshift	Flame Artist
Dan Tobin Smith	-	Photographer
Stephan Wever	Stink	Director VR experience
Sophie Gaaloul	Stink	Executive Producer VR experience

The Campaign

To demonstrate the depth and uniqueness of Hennessy X.O. we wrote an oneiric movie that aims to show in a metaphoric and symbolic way its taste. We decided to visualise how it tastes through seven chapters that define the succession of flavours you will experience. But instead of doing a classical film that is based on logic, we collaborated with Palme d’or winning director Nicolas Winding Refn to imagine a movie as mystical and impactful as the blend of the cognac. Thus we created a film which goes beyond the codes of traditional luxury and breaks away from classical elegance, expressing instead in a modern way the depth and uniqueness of the X.O. blend.

Campaign Success

The campaign was released at the same time all around the world : the third of march. Film by Nicolas Winding Refn : TV, Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Hennessy website, Wechat, Youku. 7 Prints: Magazines, standard outdoor and animated prints in airports all over the world. 360°: Virtual reality experiment and 360 Making-off. Consumers were invited to live the Virtual Odyssey inspired by the universe of the film in 16 airports. These 360 films were released through an iOs and Android app, and on Samsung Gear VR market. 7 Limited edition packaging based on the 7 Prints. A minisite. A banner campaign based on the animated prints and the film.

Describe the success of the promotion with both client and consumer including some quantifiable results

The film has been viewed 25.000.000 times, becoming the most viewed luxury ad of the year (source?: Google and Youtube marketing analytics) 80% of positive reviews?; 18% extremely positive (source?: Added Value, qualitative research & new brand campaign analysis) Media impression worldwide?: 220.000.000 Earned media?: 28.400.000

Explain why the method of promotion was most relevant to the product or service

Airports are the third more important market in the world of Cognac. We needed to catch the attention of the consumer there, directly in retail stores : a place where they have time to lose. We wanted them to use this free time to experience how cognac makes you feel in a powerful and unexpected way. To do so, we created a VR experiment based on the TV commercial directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. We also released this experiment through a cross platform app and the Samsung VR Market.

Because of its price and apparent complexity, Hennessy X.O is intimidating and perceived by most as a spirit reserved to experts. Our audience is the well-off whisky drinker who may be attracted by cognac’s sophistication, but still hesitates to enter this new world. To modernise and democratize Hennessy X.O we decided to illustrate its taste in an unexpected and visionary way. Through seven chapters, you could discover the succession of flavours you experience when you drink it.