The Moët Hennessy Strategy for Luxury Collaborations

Raphaele Delerue (00:03)

Let’s continue with another dimension of innovation: luxury wine and spirits. Expanding brand territory through cross-universe collaboration is truly at the heart of our strategy to push the value of our portfolio even further. To introduce myself, I’m Raphaele Delerue, Global Head of Marketing and Business Development for Global Travel Retail at Moët Hennessy.

Lauranie Nonotte (00:30)

And I’m Lauranie Nonotte. I lead education and advocacy for Moët Hennessy. Today, we are incredibly proud to share why it makes strategic sense for our company to engage in high-level collaborations. We are going to share several examples of how we bring these partnerships to life, but most importantly, how they add value for bartenders by bringing a new narrative to light—a way to tell a story that goes far beyond the liquid and the bottle. I’ll hand the microphone over to you, Lauranie, to explain why this makes sense.

Lauranie Nonotte (00:58)

Why do these collaborations make sense? Because we don’t just want to pour liquid; we want to pull new drinkers in. If we only ever spoke to traditional whiskey or spirits lovers, our growth would eventually plateau. To prevent that, we have structured our strategic objectives into the “Three Plus One Rs.”

The first R is Recruit. We are deliberately looking beyond our usual crowd to connect with entirely new communities and foster a genuine sense of belonging.

Lauranie Nonotte (01:25)

This ties directly into the second R: Relate. We want to get these distinct communities speaking to one another by tapping into real affinity worlds. We aren’t just staying inside the spirits universe; we are bridging the gap between multiple lifestyle spaces.

The third R is Revive. This is about keeping the category’s spirit alive rather than letting it get stuck in rigid tradition. New tribes bring new vibes and fresh energy to our portfolio.

Lauranie Nonotte (01:53)

Finally, there is a bonus R: Be Real. We strictly look for collaborations that make structural sense, bring conceptual depth, and avoid being mere marketing gimmicks.

I recently had a conversation with the Communications Director at Dom Pérignon regarding our collaboration with the contemporary artist Takashi Murakami, which Raphaele will expand on shortly. She emphasized just how deeply committed the artist was to the project. He wasn’t just signing a box or slapping a stamp on a label; he was actively involved at each individual step of the creative process. In a nutshell, cross-universe collaborations pull new drinkers in, unlock entirely fresh drinking occasions, and build immense brand equity.

Raphaele Delerue (03:09)

Now that we understand why it matters, let’s explore what it looks like in practice—within the story, the ritual, and the drink itself. We have plenty of examples across Moët Hennessy, so we had to select a chosen few.

First, I want to discuss artistic collaborations, which are incredibly important. When dealing with heritage prestige brands, our iconic offers are already well-established. The question becomes: how do we inject even more value into them?

Raphaele Delerue (03:38)

To do this, we target world-class artists, trendsetters, and creative minds who naturally align with our brand DNA. When we partner with an artist—as we do with Dom Pérignon—we aren’t asking for a simple superficial tweak; we want their unfiltered, raw interpretation of our identity. It is a true win-win collaboration. We don’t just say, “Please design a new box.” We invite them directly into the production process and bring them to our brand homes.

Raphaele Delerue (04:07)

As Lauranie mentioned, anchoring these creators in our heritage ensures they deeply understand our roots. We select them explicitly for their shared vision. This intentionality elevates the final product from a bottle of spirits into a highly coveted artistic object, which drives premium value for the consumer. It’s a win-win for everyone because it allows us to recruit collectors, art enthusiasts, and individuals rooted in distinct cultural subcultures who might otherwise never interact with our category.

Raphaele Delerue (04:35)

A perfect example of this is Hennessy, where we’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with world-class masters. For instance, we executed a highly niche, stunning collaboration with a specialized feather artist, bringing a completely unprecedented texture to the brand narrative.

Raphaele Delerue (05:03)

Similarly, we have an upcoming release from Glenmorangie—a rare 50-year-old single malt packaged in partnership with the renowned ceramic artist Peter Pincus. Our process is always the same: we bring them out to the distillery, we brainstorm collectively, and that collaborative friction yields an amazing piece of art.

Another example I love features Belvedere Organic Infusions and the “Dirty Brew” ritual. This partnership focuses on disrupting traditional consumption patterns.

Raphaele Delerue (05:31)

I think this concept will really resonate with the audience here at BCB (Bar Convent Berlin) because it tackles how to push past the standard serve formats that often limit spirits. It relies on building entirely new service rituals. We’ve seen a lot of service rituals around the halls today, and they are vital because they allow you to express your brand’s personality. Your brand isn’t just a liquid; it’s a reflection of who you are, what you want to express, and how playfully you can execute that vision.

Raphaele Delerue (06:21)

You can truly play around with the presentation. For example, to launch our coffee-infused iterations, we built a fully realized coffee-shop concept to ensure total coherence with the product’s identity and lifestyle personality.

Last but not least, let’s look at Ardbeg and how you can stand out by tapping directly into cultural subcultures. We have some brilliant examples with Ardbeg because the brand loves to speak directly to the “weirdos.” Who are the weirdos, and where do they hang out?

Raphaele Delerue (06:48)

We looked at the landscape and realized our community thrives in the outdoor gourmet barbecue space, so we built tailored activations around that fire-and-smoke subculture. Conversely, with Glenmorangie, we wanted to break out of the blue entirely. To disrupt typical expectations, we partnered with a high-end barbershop network, replicating the barbershop experience in trade activations.

Consumption is no longer confined to a sofa in a living room; it has moved out into the world. Tapping into authentic subcultures allows us to express the distinct wit, charm, and personality of each individual brand in our portfolio. Putting your heart and gut into the brand dictates how creatively you express it, which brings us to the third part of our presentation. I’ll hand it back to you, Lauranie.

Lauranie Nonotte (07:46)

Whether we are tapping into fine art, diving into the culinary world, or embedding ourselves in the daily lives of our consumers, we are creating unforgettable, new experiences. We want to show you how these experiences form the foundation of a true advocacy strategy that benefits both our brands and our commercial clients.

I’m speaking directly to the bartenders and bar owners in the room here. For brands, these cross-universe collaborations fuel deep belief both internally and externally. Within our corporate teams, it sparks pride, engagement, and brand advocacy. For our trade partners and consumers, it builds profound emotional connections.

Lauranie Nonotte (08:43)

It injects a layer of conceptual depth that allows for much deeper trade conversations. When these collaborations are thoughtfully conceived and meticulously executed, they don’t just sell a product—they tell a story. This offers an immense advantage to our bartender partners.

Lauranie Nonotte (09:09)

First, it provides a dynamic tool for bar animation, allowing teams to dress their space and engage with guests in an entirely fresh way. Second, it allows bartenders to engage consumers through a much more approachable, familiar universe. It makes it incredibly easy to talk to non-experts because you are communicating through a lifestyle passion point—like art, coffee, or design—that they already know and love in their daily lives. It anchors the liquid in an emotion they can already relate to.

Lauranie Nonotte (09:38)

Ultimately, it transforms bartenders from simple drink servers into cultural storytellers and community connectors. In fact, we frequently bring top bartenders directly into our creative process as professional partners, making them an active part of the collaboration concept itself.

In conclusion, meaningful collaborations must go far beyond surface-level aesthetics or seasonal packaging changes. They must add real substance and narrative meaning.

Lauranie Nonotte (10:23)

They must connect seamlessly with the brand’s legacy, historical roots, and core DNA. The long-term strategic objective is to build lasting brand desirability while embedding our portfolio into broader cultural conversations.

I always keep in mind a quote from the CMO of Dom Pérignon, who loves to state: “Dom Pérignon is not a champagne.” I really love that perspective.

Lauranie Nonotte (10:48)

By thinking outside the category box, we successfully transition a brand from a mere liquid product into a living icon. And “living” is truly the keyword to keep in mind.

Thank you very much for listening to us today.