Background

Whilst most Cognac brands speak about their shared provenance and heritage, Courvoisier is unique as the brand was conceived in Paris during a time of unparalleled artistic freedom and extravagance. Toasted under the Eiffel Tower on the opening night in 1889, it has an extraordinary link to the city.

The brief

To unlock the brand’s rich Parisian story and give Courvoisier a distinctive new look and feel bringing charisma and cohesion to a previously lacklustre portfolio.

The creative idea

The architecture and artistry of the Parisian Golden Age were the inspiration. The aesthetic of the era, typified by treasures such as the Grand Palais and the Eiffel Tower, embodied our design idea of ‘epic stature’ – the balance of strength and elegance that give Courvoisier its distinctive visual character. The new brand mark echoes the shape that revellers saw when toasting and looking up from underneath the Eiffel Tower on the inaugural night, while the intricate patterns relate to the differing designs of the Tower’s levels. We then worked to establish a change of pace across the range from VS to VSOP and XO. For instance, the new signature pattern becomes more intricate as the age of the Cognac increases.

Impact

“The brand transformation celebrates Courvoisier’s unique Parisian heritage and luxury credentials in an innovative, modern way and represents a step-change in our plans to grow Courvoisier’s market share globally. We are already delivering a strong performance across many key markets and expect the new campaign to accelerate this growth.” Francois Bazini, VP International Marketing, Beam Suntory