Martell titillates in bid to attract new market of younger drinkers

<p>TBWA has launched a global Martell Cognac campaign aimed at </p><p>revitalising the 300-year-old French cognac brand by attempting to </p><p>appeal to a younger market. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>To date, Martell - generally considered the No.3 brand in its category </p><p>after Remy and Hennessy - has been perceived as a drink for older, more </p><p>conservative drinkers. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Cognac has a huge following worldwide; however, the overall category is </p><p>on the decline because of the masses of younger people, empowered by </p><p>higher disposable incomes, becoming avid consumers of alcoholic </p><p>beverages such as beer and wine. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>TBWA Hong Kong chairman and strategic planning director Gavin Heron said </p><p>the perception of cognac among the younger generation is that "it's for </p><p>my father's generation, not my generation". </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Because of that, TBWA and Martell opted to break the cognac advertising </p><p>mould in a bid to create new excitement around the Martell brand. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The ad campaign, which rolled out worldwide this month, uses a woman to </p><p>personify the cognac brand. However, the twist, at least in the TVC, is </p><p>that the woman appears to be talking directly at the consumer in a </p><p>cajoling and teasing manner. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"It is an encapsulation of French culture and image - independent, </p><p>prestigious, chic, sexy, sensual and stylish. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"This aspect of the brand is wrapped up in Martell, the tangible </p><p>manifestation of the brand. Everything that Martell the cognac is, is </p><p>encapsulated in Martell the girl. She challenges. She titillates. She </p><p>induces trial," Mr Heron told MEDIA. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>In this way, he added, the advertising strategy represents a radical </p><p>departure from the long-held view that cognac ads need to be </p><p>traditional, face and status conscious, conservative and for formal </p><p>occasions. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The campaign was developed as a global project among TBWA offices in </p><p>Hong Kong, London and New York. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Local implementation comes mainly in the form of appropriate </p><p>translations of the work in major markets where the campaign is running </p><p>such as Cantonese for the Hong Kong and southern China markets. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>However, the talent used is the same the world over and Mr Heron said </p><p>that this was because the woman had to embody the "Frenchness" of the </p><p>brand. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Martell belongs to the oldest of all the cognac houses in France and so </p><p>it has the traditions and heritage that go along with it. We could not </p><p>use a Chinese talent for Hong Kong because things Chinese are not part </p><p>of the brand value," he said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>However, he stressed that research such as focus group studies in all </p><p>the major markets elicited a positive response. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The campaign's main objective is to create a younger, fresher feel to </p><p>the brand, but at the same time, not isolating the existing Martell </p><p>drinkers. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"We want to effectively target the 25 to 35-year-old age group. But we </p><p>also want to keep the premium and prestige values that have long been </p><p>associated with the brand. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"The new positioning is that Martell is a young drink - but it is not a </p><p>teeny-bopper drink," Mr Heron said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>And to drive home the message about Martell's youthfulness, a website </p><p>(www.martell.com) has been established where people can interact with </p><p>the brand. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>In Asia-Pacific, the campaign is running in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, </p><p>Singapore and Korea. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>TBWA Hong Kong general manager Stewart Li said below-the-line activities </p><p>accompany the TVC and print campaign including public relations, and </p><p>on- and off-premises and direct marketing efforts. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"In order to realise the full potential of the campaign, we even have </p><p>devised drink recipes related to Martell such as Martell Ginger (Martell </p><p>and ginger ale), Martell Sour (Martell, fresh lemon juice and sugar) and </p><p>Martell Apricot (Martell, apricot liqueur and champagne)." </p><p><BR><BR> </p>