LATEST PRESS NEWS
30th May 2023 |
WONDERWORKS COMMUNICATIONS LEAD COURVOISIER’S NEW SERVE CAMPAIGN ‘WELCOME TO THE GALA’
Wonderworks Communications, the London-based creative agency who specialise in drinks, has developed a disruptive new communication programme for world-renowned cognac brand, Courvoisier. With the goal of attracting a new generation of consumers, ‘Welcome to the Gala’ is set to hit the UK early this summer. The fresh strategy and new creative brings another significant project for a premium drinks brand into Wonderworks Communications’ roster of experience.
Welcome to the Gala demonstrates how the classic spirit Courvoisier can be enjoyed as a contemporary and refreshing drink, by launching it as a daytime serve to be enjoyed with friends. The campaign uses Courvoisier’s new positioning and spirit of joie de vivre to create a brighter and more joyful world for The Gala, owning relaxed convivial daytime occasions and connecting to culturally relevant moments. In a ground-breaking move, Wonderworks Communications engaged a Vogue fashion photographer, Ollie Ali, who brought his own style to the creative, resulting in a fresh approach that challenged existing cognac sector campaigns. The photoshoot took place in Cape Town, capturing a variety of stills and videos which will appear across print, digital, and retail.
Miranda Hart, Creative Strategy Director and Founding Partner of Wonderworks Communications saw Ollie’s involvement as a pivotal point in the project:
“We knew that bringing Courvoisier’s new positioning to life in a campaign focussing on their signature serve, The Gala, was an ideal way to change perceptions. We also knew that editorial style photography would elevate the serve – portraying a luxury lifestyle around this simple yet refreshingly delicious cocktail. We wanted the creative to inspire an emotional connection with the audience; portray the luxury and sophistication of the drink, as well as inspiring people to enjoy a sociable daytime moment.”
“Having worked with some of the world’s biggest fashion houses, Ollie’s photography created a visual identity that’s bold, tempting, and entirely in line with the brand’s premium place in the market.”
The creatives feature a signature serve that celebrates Courvoisier’s 1930s ‘Gala’ – the iconic cognac house’s first mixable cocktail spirit. The Gala, mixes two parts Courvoisier VSOP with five parts sparkling lemon, served with a lemon twist over ice. The end result is a refreshingly long and light beverage which fits perfectly into the spritz culture that litters al fresco bars across the world on sunny afternoons; a picture that deliberately contrasts the traditional glass of cognac sipped neatly on a cold, dark night.
The campaign is equally as contrasting, capturing the joyful, social nature of the signature serve whilst the editorial style embodies Courvoisier’s historic place as an icon of luxury. It breaks the traditional expectations of Cognac serves and reimagines the experience by mixing cognac in cocktails to appeal to broader, younger demographics.
Director and Photographer, Ollie Ali, said of the project:
“It was a dream to bring the Courvoisier Gala campaign to life with such an incredible team out in South Africa. Creating a photo story and moving moments that only revealed hands and body, it was crucial that we found our joyous expression and emotion through styling, set design, and of course talent performance, and I’m extremely thankful for each and every collaborator who worked their magic and brought their A-game to the table to make this happen.”
It’s the first time a drinks brand has partnered with an editorial photographer as part of a repositioning strategy – and given the results, it quite certainly won’t be the last.
Jeanette Edwards, Senior Global Brand Director: House of Courvoisier, commented:
“The Courvoisier Gala is inspired by our 1930s Gala Club that was made to be drunk mixed. Our signature serve was developed to be more approachable and inclusive, with our Welcome to the Gala campaign introducing it to a wider audience in a light hearted yet elegant way that just invites people to have fun, enjoy the sunshine and each other’s company. Miranda, Ollie and the whole team have both understood and built on our original vision for this summer’s campaign with inspiring and creative results."
Look out for Welcome to the Gala across London, this summer. To find out more about Wonderworks Communications and its work in the drinks industry, visit wearewonderworks.com.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
For more information, please contact Fenella Taylor fenella@flourishmarketing.co.uk 07721 324696
About Wonderworks Communications:
Wonderworks is an independent, female-led, creative agency based in London.
Sarah Wildman-King and Miranda Hart head up the award-winning agency which specialises in premium drinks, with clients including Jim Beam, Avallen, Roku Gin, Courvoisier and Haku Vodka.
Wonderworks run a free 12-week mentoring programme for women who work or want to work in the drinks industry.