We approached this advertisement as one would a short film, to create the most elegant and poetic environment within which we could tell this life story. From our partnership with an Oscar-winning director, to the set designers, music composer and DOP, we worked with the best profiles in the industry to ensure the most elevated execution. The challenge was to ⁠represent universal daily moments with a whimsical touch, transforming those moments into epic living paintings. Far from cold luxury Cognac codes, our intent was to create an emotional bond through a cinematic art piece.

Since 2016, Hennessy X.O has asserted its position as a cultural brand collaborating with some of the best directors of our time, through disruptive and arty advertisement campaigns. A long saga in 3 volumes exploring the X.O tasting notes through the styles of different talents, visually articulating the complexity of the extra old cognac through a great Odyssey. But this year, for the third Odyssey, the brand needed to connect to a new generation of spirit drinkers mainly Chinese (key market for Hennessy) eager for a more modern and emotional connection to spirits. So the challenge was real, keep on expressing the sensorial odyssey of a drop of liquid to showcase the real complexity of the craftmanship of the house, but still connect to deeper, and more human emotions of degustation.

The Odyssey Hennessy X.O saga began in 2016. It explores tasting notes through the styles of different directors, visually articulating the complexity of the extra old cognac through a great Odyssey. The idea was to go against the stereotypical and cliché representations from the category and create impact on a visceral emotional level. After the first film, an “Odyssey of Senses” which approached taste as a feeling in an artistic and visual way, the second film, an “Odyssey of Worlds”, pushed the imagination even further and created a grandiose science fiction universe. What about this third Opus? How could Hennessy renew itself to engage with a new generation of spirit drinkers (27-30 & 30-39 YO) who tend to prefer Whisky and Tequila? And create an authentic and compelling narrative experience, whilst still boldly disrupting the prevalent preconceptions of “old-fashioned Cognac”, and more specifically “distant and elitist Hennessy X.O”?

Life is the greatest Odyssey. Inspired by the idea that “Each drop of Hennessy X.O is an Odyssey”, the film contemplates on how the smallest of moments can trigger an emotional Odyssey of thoughts and memories. You can travel through space and time in the span of one moment. “Life Is the Greatest Odyssey,” expresses the grandeur of Hennessy X.O through one small drop of cognac.

For 7 years the brand had worked on raising premiumness and desirability, now the goal was to connect emotionally.

As the multi-sensorial characteristics of X.O had been well established, we had the opportunity to intensify the human element of this experience.

We found out that taste and emotions are processed in the same part of the brain. The insular cortex, is the sensory area for taste and also plays a role in visceral and emotional experience.

Senses trigger feelings. Our senses are the doorway to our emotions and to our relationships with others.

We took the idea of an Odyssey into an emotional and human space, with a big idea that elevates the multi-sensoriality of X.O beyond tasting notes and brings us closer to people. An ode to life’s beauty, emotions, sensations, love, to what has been and what will be.

“Life is the greatest Odyssey” is the achievement of three years of work.

The teasing phase revealed the name of the director, followed by interview extracts and teaser films as if for a cinematic movie release.

The 7 minute film was launched in avant première in China, Hennessy’s key market, during a grandiose PR event, before being released worldwide.

The long version is used for social media and cinema placements. Shorter stories focusing on different parts of the protagonist’s life have been made in 1 minute and 30 second formats for more classic media placements.

All these various asset types are made to to reveal the director's vision: Transcribing a real-life story with a lifetime of small details that make each scene so realistic yet so magical.

The pre-test results have shown exceptional long-term performance with the highest possible score, while brand association reached an average of 80% worldwide.

From the launch until now

Impressions 17.6M (+31% vs KPI), Clicks 28.3K, (36% vs KPI).

Engagement Rate 16.39%,(+32% vs Y22HNY campaign avg)

PR : 2.1M AD value with coverage of 270 media titles