Martell inspires Chinese youth to challenge social norms in new campaign via BBH China

French Cognac brand Martell Noblige has launched an integrated multi-channel campaign via BBH China to reintroduce the brand in China and enhance its appeal to a younger Legal Drinking Age (LDA) audience, who are at the cutting edge of culture and exploring their alcohol preferences.

The campaign uses the tagline ‘Be a Standout Swift’ and reinterprets Martell’s logo featuring a ‘swift’, which is inspired from a migratory bird found in the Cognac region of France, to communicate the Chinese new generation’s desire to take audacious risks. Now adapted globally, the tagline and the creative idea re-evaluates the traditional Chinese belief ‘The bird that stands out gets shot down’ that encouraged conformity for children in the pre-90s era and seeks to inspire the new generation to fearlessly follow their heart.

The campaign is led by three films, shot by director and photographer Wing Shya and features singer, actor and philanthropist Chen Kun, fashion designer Angel Chen and E-Gamer Li Xiao Feng aka SKY. Each a celebrity and influencer in their own sphere, who have broken new grounds by challenging the norms in their own field.

The films capture the individual journeys of each of the protagonists through dynamic visuals showcasing snippets of their professional challenges and triumphs. and ends with an inspiring message reinforcing the idea of being a ‘Standout Swift’.

Louis Cheng, Brand Director of Martell (Pernod Ricard China), said: “As a brand steeped in tradition but with a receptivity to modern values, we are looking to engage the next generation of Chinese consumers by encouraging them to be audacious and chart their own destiny. Our new campaign captures the aspiration of Chinese young adults so effectively exemplified by Chen Kun, Angel Chen and SKY and encourages them to believe that anything is possible and to chase their aspirations.”

Kelly Pon, Chief Creative Officer, BBH China, said: “The swift has adorned Martell’s products for centuries and is inextricably linked to the brand. We wanted to build on this legacy and develop a new tagline that connects the symbol of swift to our target audience’s desire to play by their own rules and actively push the culture forward.”

Launched in the last week of December in China, the four month-long campaign will be expanded to other markets including Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong in January. The large-scale campaign will be amplified across a wide range of channels including social, digital, outdoor, in-store and press.

VIEW THE CAMPAIGN

Credits
Agency: BBH China
Managing Partner & Executive Chairman, Publicis Groupe China: Arto Hampartsoumian
Chief Creative Officer: Kelly Pon
Executive Creative Director: Yinbo Ma
Associate Creative Director: Louis Li
Copywriter: CK Shan, Vincent Xing
Business Director: Joanne Liu
Associate Account Director: Emelyn Tan
Strategy Director: Tobias Wacker
TV Executive Producer: Weisian Lee
Print Producer: Ken Wang
Studio: Jiayi Yu
Production company: Smooth Production
Client credits:
Brand: Pernod Ricard China and Martell Mumm Perrier-Jouet
Client: Pernod Ricard China
VP, Marketing: Yann Soenen
Brand Director: Louis Cheng
Associate Brand Director: Tiger Wang
Senior Brand Manager: Selin Yin
Brand Manager: Dita Ouyang
Assistant Brand Manager: Keira Dong
Client: Martell Mumm Perrier-Jouët
Marketing Director: Richard Black
Style Director: Axelle De Buffévent
Global Creative Content Director: Aurélie Torre
Global Creative Content Senior Brand Manager: Elaïs De Bastard, Shirley Mabiletja
Global Creative Content Marketing Manager: Kerry Fazal
Head of Visual Design: Sophie Delannoy