Founded in 1765 in France Hennessy is a cognac brand that’s experienced meteoric growth in the 1990s after becoming the spirit of choice of hip-hop tastemakers.

We rebooted the brand in 2011 after the recession and changes in audience preferences had hit Hennessy hard. Hennessy, a brand that has always stood for achievement, would have to find a more contemporary and relevant way to define itself, to re-earn the respect of its audience and generate fresh sales momentum.

To become more relevant to Hennessy's 21 to 35 African American audience we dove deeply into their hopes and fears. Eager to pursue their potential and contribute to the greater good, they were held back by obstacles not of their making: student loans, a “jobless recovery” and wage stagnation.

We observed an emerging trend that reframed these challenges: the idea of success as a journey, taking place over time, not in a flash of instant gratification. This idea is also the soul of Hennessy’s process – faith in making a product that will not be enjoyed for years to come.

Out of this insight came the White Rabbit campaign. Its tagline 'Never Stop, Never Settle' and its wild rabbit icon set the tone for a campaign that reframed Hennessy from superficial status symbol to champion of the tireless pursuit of potential.

Over the arc of the campaign we've used icons and role models that embody this thought, whether Manny Pacquiao, Erykah Badu, the English race car driver Sir Malcolm Campbell, an English racecar driver who’d set nine land-speed records in the 1920s and ’30 or, most recently the hip-hop artist Nas.

The results of the campaign was a new and deep connection with its audience, driving brand image attributes to new heights, increasing consideration.

Most importantly it delivered unheard-of double digit % sales growth every single year of the campaign, while further consolidating its lead in the cognac category. Its return on investment beat every category norm and continues to increase year after year.

Hennessy found a powerful way of connecting with its audience while at the same time staying true to the values that have guided it over the last 250 years. But the White Rabbit campaign continues - this brand will never stop or settle.