Hennessy debuts ‘Made for More’ campaign

Cognac producer Hennessy has launched a campaign that seeks to “shake up” perceptions of the brand and showcase its mixability.

Titled ‘Made for More’, the campaign stars British-Nigerian actor Damson Idris and US singer-songwriter and actor Teyana Taylor.

It features five films which are designed to highlight Hennessy’s versatility and mixability in cocktails, while also presenting a ‘new, lighter, brighter, fresher visual’ of the brand.

Julie Nollet, global chief marketing officer at Hennessy, said: “Hennessy is well known everywhere but people don’t always know about how versatile it is – how it brings more flavour, depth and complexity to all kinds of cocktails.

“Our new ‘Made for More’ campaign is bringing to life this notion of 1+1=3, showcasing the unlimited possibilities and introducing another side of the brand with beauty, fun and open mindedness. It shakes up the brand perceptions and builds on its legacy for a new generation.”

Hennessy described Taylor and Idris as embodying ‘a sense of effortlessness’ and in the films, positions the pair in creative ways where they are seen putting twists on classic serves such as a Margarita, a Mojito and a Highball, using the Cognac.

On being chosen to front the campaign, Idris, who is recognised for his role in crime drama Snowfall, said: “The chance to work with such an iconic brand was one I just couldn’t say no to.

“When I think of Hennessy I think of my three older brothers, I think of amazing memories. The visuals are stylish, the films are fun, it’s magic. It’s a cinema.”

The films were directed by Andreas Nilsson, a Swedish director who has made music videos with the likes of 2 Chainz, The Knife, Fever Ray and MGMT.

Visuals were then shot by fashion photographer Micaiah Carter.

The campaign launched globally yesterday (8 April) and will roll out in cities such as New York, Miami, Los Angeles, London and Berlin.

It coincides with the modern makeover that the Cognac category is currently undergoing, with producers looking to appeal to younger drinkers and shift away from its stuffy image.

Hennessy is the world’s biggest-selling Cognac brand.

Its biggest markets outside of France are in the US and China.

In China, it opened a store at Haikou Meilan International Airport in Hainan Province. In the US, the brand struggled last year with owner LVMH reporting that ‘normalisation of demand’ after Covid-19 impacted its sales.