Courvoisier debuts new look and global campaign

Cognac brand Courvoisier has named Thibaut Hontanx as its chief blender and revealed a new global campaign and redesign of its range.

Hontanx will become the seventh person to take on the role of chief blender for Courvoisier, following the retirement of Patrice Pinet. Hontanx most recently served as master distiller for Courvoisier.

Pinet first joined the Beam Suntory-owned Cognac brand as production manager in 1989, before becoming general manager and chief blender in 2009.

Hontanx said: “As newly appointed caretaker of our exceptional range of Cognacs, I will continue to embrace our iconic floral house style, as I develop future innovations. We’ll have more news on our innovations to share very soon.”

This year, Courvoisier will seek to ‘redefine the Cognac category’ through a new brand world that takes inspiration from the French belief of ‘joie de vivre’.

Courvoisier has partnered with London-based multidisciplinary artist Yinka Ilori for its new We Found Joy global campaign.

The brand has named Ilori ambassador of joy, a role that was created to pay homage to Felix Courvoisier’s founding principle of celebrating joy every day.

The We Found Joy campaign will include an immersive series of events across the globe to ‘bring the beauty of summer’ to Courvoisier’s home in Jarnac, France. The series will kick off in New York City on 3 March, followed by other cities worldwide later in the year.

Jon Potter, managing director of Maison Courvoisier and House of Suntory at Beam Suntory, said: “Courvoisier was founded on the belief of being welcoming to all. We want to invite spirits drinkers to consider Courvoisier on more occasions and more frequently.

“To do so, we’re showcasing sessionable cocktail serves that highlight the versatility of our floral house style and are perfect for daytime consumption.”

The Cognac brand has also teamed up with actor, writer, producer and director Rashida Jones, Michelin-starred chef Vladimir Mukhin, jazz musician Moses Boyd, and fashion and beauty photographer Betina du Toit.

Each person will bring a multi-sensory experience to life through their respective mediums, showing how they each interpret joy through a film series ‘Welcome to Maison Courvoisier’. The series is available to watch on the brand’s website and social media channels.

‘New era’

Furthermore, Courvoisier has revealed a new look for its range that will be debuted globally. The pack redesign was inspired by design codes from the 1800s. It took further inspiration from the Belle Époque era between 1871 and 1880, including the opening of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Potter added: “We are entering a new era for Courvoisier.

“This is an exciting time for our Maison, as we go back to our roots and embrace what Courvoisier was founded on by Félix Courvoisier.”

The brand will also expand its range with a new permanent expression, called Courvoisier XO Royal.

The expression is inspired by the Cognac blends that graced the royal courts of Europe in the 20^th century, Courvoisier said.

The expression is one of Pinet’s final releases for the brand and combines old Fins Bois de Jarnac with a selection of Grande Champagne eaux-de-vie.

“It is a privilege to pay homage to Maison Courvoisier’s historic recipe crafted centuries ago for distinguished royalty,” said Pinet.

“Courvoisier XO Royal marries exceptionally rare eaux-de-vie to create a full-bodied blend that balances heritage, craftsmanship, tradition and innovation.”

Each bottle comes in a teardrop shape design to honour the brand’s fourth chief blender, Daniel Dumon, who introduced the original Courvoisier XO in 1984 and features a glass stopper with facets to represent the maximum age of the eaux-de-vie in the blend.

Priced at US$285, the expression will be available to buy from July 2022.

Courvoisier is one of the world’s biggest Cognac brands, selling 1.4 million nine-litre cases in 2020, according to Brand Champions 2021 data.