Hennessy: The Piccards
Hennessy tasked Droga5 New York with evolving the Wild Rabbit platform to resonate with a younger, achievement-oriented audience. The brand needed to move beyond traditional luxury cues to celebrate the internal drive for excellence. The goal was to solidify Hennessy's position as the world's leading cognac by aligning the brand with the spirit of legendary pioneers who never settled for the status quo.
Creative Idea
Merged two historical extremes into one continuous journey to symbolize the relentless pursuit of mastery.
Hennessy dramatized the parallel pioneering feats of Auguste and Jacques Piccard, using their relentless pursuit of the stratosphere and the abyss as a cinematic metaphor for the brand's philosophy of constant self-improvement and the internal drive to never settle.
The Father the Son and the Stratosphere
A Cinematic Masterpiece of Craft
Directed by Daniel Wolfe, the film is celebrated for its seamless integration of high - end VFX and emotional storytelling. To achieve the surreal, ink - like transitions between the sky and the sea, The Mill combined Houdini and Maya CG elements with practical footage of ink - in - water shot in a tank. While the visuals are dreamlike, the production team maintained historical realism by replicating the original pressurized capsules and diving vessels, the FNRS-1 and the Trieste, used by the Piccards.
The Voice of the Wild Rabbit
The campaign features narration by hip - hop icon Nas, whose voiceover for the 30 - second and 60 - second cutdowns reinforces the brand's "Never Stop. Never Settle." mantra. Adding a layer of authenticity, Bertrand Piccard - a third - generation explorer and the first man to fly non - stop around the world in a balloon - served as a consultant. He provided historical context and personal quotes regarding his father and grandfather’s psychological drive to face the unknown.
Legacy of the Achievement Demographic
This fourth installment of the Wild Rabbit series successfully shifted Hennessy’s perception toward a younger, achievement - oriented demographic. During this era, Hennessy maintained its position as the #1 Cognac in the world. Beyond the business impact, the campaign holds a unique place in pop culture history; Auguste Piccard, the physicist featured in the spot, was the real - life inspiration for Professor Calculus in *The Adventures of Tintin*. The film serves as a visual metaphor for the "Wild Rabbit" itself - symbolized by the relentless, synchronized motion of the father and son as they push toward opposite extremes of the earth.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
A centuries-old cognac brand built on the mastery of time, patience, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.
Category
Alcohol brands often rely on shallow lifestyle tropes, status symbols, or generic party scenes to convey luxury.
Customer
High-achievers who view success not as a destination, but as a continuous, internal struggle to outdo themselves.
Culture
A cultural shift where modern luxury is defined by personal growth, intellectual curiosity, and the legacy of one's drive.
Company
A centuries-old cognac brand built on the mastery of time, patience, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.
Category
Alcohol brands often rely on shallow lifestyle tropes, status symbols, or generic party scenes to convey luxury.
Strategy:
Elevate the brand from a status symbol to a philosophical partner in the pursuit of personal mastery.
Customer
High-achievers who view success not as a destination, but as a continuous, internal struggle to outdo themselves.
Culture
A cultural shift where modern luxury is defined by personal growth, intellectual curiosity, and the legacy of one's drive.
Strategy:
Elevate the brand from a status symbol to a philosophical partner in the pursuit of personal mastery.
Strategy Technique
Build a Brand Myth
By elevating real historical figures into legendary icons of ambition, Hennessy transforms its cognac from a luxury product into a symbol of the relentless internal drive required to achieve greatness.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Spacetime Warp
It seamlessly merges two distinct historical eras and environments - the stratosphere and the deep ocean - into a single, continuous visual journey, illustrating that the drive for discovery transcends time and space.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
This campaign's craft is exceptional due to its seamless integration of historical narrative and cinematic visual effects, creating a powerful and emotionally resonant story.
The use of light and shadow, combined with the grand scale of the shots, creates a truly cinematic experience.
The CGI environments are incredibly detailed and realistic, bringing the Piccards' journeys to life.
The combination of cinematography and visual effects creates a sense of immersion that is essential to the ad's impact.
