Amid considerable rain on Monday, Moët Hennessy USA debuted its new Hennessy Black cognac in a nightlife-inspired setting at 7 World Trade Center. Traditionally consumed in tamer environments (like your grandfather's study), cognac has a staid, conservative reputation that Hennessy is looking to reinvent with the mixable and shot-friendly Hennessy Black. Hence, the brand dubbed the party and its ensuing ad campaign, "Done Different."
"Everything we’re trying to do this evening is going to be different from what people have seen from us before," said Hennessy senior vice president of business Andy Glaser, adding that less production-heavy versions of the event are headed to eight additional markets this month. "This is a new cognac. The whole idea behind this event and this launch is that we're targeting an occasion where Hennessy hasn’t historically always played. When you think of cognac you think of quiet, contemplative situations. When you think of white spirits, they tend to be more hedonistic and active. So we’re trying to communicate this idea about Hennesy done different and cognac done different."
Upon spilling into the 49th-floor venue, the evening's 850 guests received that message loud and clear, as they were greeted by some 42 servers who doled out five juicy versions of Hennessy Black done "down" in a cocktail, or "up" in a shot.
Produced by Relevent's Tony Berger, the evening had two parts, taking place first in a lounge-like room filled with tall steel tables and stools and a mirrored DJ booth manned by Sky Nellor. With nary a Hennessy Black logo in sight, the room was instead shadowy and candlelit, notwithstanding the glowing partial photos of the bottle's contour that functioned as artwork on the walls. "The concept was that this is a true brand reveal," said Berger. "There were no bars or bottles in the first room, we wanted to tease everyone with the cocktail service, to create a level of anticipation."
Part two of the evening kicked off when curtains at the far end of the room dropped, revealing a metal walkway that led to the strobe-lit second room. While DJ Jus Ske began playing a medley of Star Wars and Indiana Jones tracks, guests filed into the room, crowding around two glowing bars (where bartenders crouched down and didn't serve drinks) and an empty stage in the middle of the room. The dramatic song sequence succeeded in creating a curious buzz, but the lack of cocktails for nearly 20 minutes simultaneously prompted many to mumble, "I need a drink."
Once everyone had moved into the second room, the JabbaWockeeZ (of America's Best Dance Crew fame) seemed to appear from nowhere, wearing white masks throughout their five-minute dance. Next up was rapper and DJ Swizz Beatz, who performed "When I Step Into the Club," a catchy song he created especially for Hennessy Black (with the hope that it will play in nightclubs throughout the summer).
"If room one was lounge-y, the spirit of room two was to be more exciting," said Berger. "The first 20 minutes were choreographed, the tracks leading up to JabbaWockeeZ were meant to create that excitement, that 'what's going to happen?' feeling."
The choreography continued throughout Swizz's performance—when he sang "hands go up" the JabbaWockeeZ revealed a shiny five-foot Black bottle in the center of the stage, while, simultaneously, bottles throughout the room began glowing. Once the song finished—and before the rapper began a medley of hits from T.I. and Jay-Z—black curtains that had been shrouding the room's floor-to-ceiling windows fell, giving way to the sparkling city skyline.
Upon leaving, guests got a gift bag filled with a single, apropos item: a fedora. "Gift bags have gone the whole cycle, from being cool to being not cool at all anymore," said Berger. "So frequently after events I see the street littered with mini-shampoos, free magazines, and perfumes. We decided that we really wanted to give a unisex item of high quality that wouldn't break the bank."
So was it successful? On the way out, several umbrella-less guests used their fedoras as cover against a late-night storm.
