Asia has witnessed a remarkable growth in the luxury market over
a relatively short period: by 2020 the base of luxury consumers will
pass 180 million in China alone. Luxury spirits, watches, fashion, travel,
fragrances, automotive – the influx of new brands, trends, fads and
fashions in the region has been constant. And for many of these
luxury brands one of the key codes of the category is a conspicuous
signalling of wealth and success.
The dark spirits category had been a part of fuelling this category
convention. But the Hennessy team in Asia wanted to take a more
challenger approach for their V.S.O.P brand, and in particular to
drive greater differentiation by being an Enlightened Zagger to
those conventional luxury codes and cues.
The opportunity for Hennessy V.S.O.P, then, was to present the
brand’s alternative point of view of what really defines success.
The big idea: Find What Matters.
Thomas Moradpour, then Global Chief Marketing Officer of Hennessy,
believes a strong point of view, one that might not appeal to everyone,
is at the core of all luxury marketing: “You’re not going to make a luxury
brand based on what consumers need or what consumers want.
You have to have your own idea of what to offer to the world, and
people can either come to you or walk away.” (1) So in 2018 Hennessy
V.S.O.P’s Asia Pacific ‘Find What Matters’ campaign embraced a new
perspective on luxury, turning its back on superficial symbols of wealth
and focusing instead on the deeper benefits of genuine relationships
and one-of-a-kind experiences.
The online and TV campaign brought these moments and experiences
to life with an idea that debunked traditional ‘keys to success’ – two
chefs share a drink before opening their ‘five-star’ food truck, a shot
of an office block plays out all-too-familiar corporate scenes before
revealing a couple sharing an amazing view from the rooftop,
a camping scene is accompanied by the tagline ‘the size of your
house defines the size of your life’.
The Hennessy V.S.O.P ‘Find What Matters’ event in Shanghai brought
the brand to life beyond advertising, with key influencers sharing their
perspective on what mattered to them. The event introduced 1,500
visitors over three days to the Hennessy V.S.O.P’s Enlightened Zagger
point of view, reaching over 11m views on social and winning gold
for Influencer Marketing at the 2018 Asia Pacific SABRE Awards.
Sources
1. eatbigfish Interview with Thomas Moradpour, July 2018