Hosting an event on Liberty Island can be a daunting task, especially when 1,300 V.I.P.s, celebrities, and members of the international press are set to attend—all arriving via the less-than-glamorous Circle Line ferries. Moët & Chandon, however, took on the challenge, as the venue was an apt location to mark the 120th anniversary of both the Champagne maker’s White Star label and the Statue of Liberty. (History refresher: The French government gave the statue to the United States as a gift in 1886.) Logistics were difficult, restrictions were rampant, and security levels were high, but according to Moët & Chandon communications director Anouk Blain-Mailhot, “It was all worth it. Liberty Island was special and unique—it was a place many guests said they had never been to before.”The Champagne company, a division of LVMH, worked with Publicis Events in both New York and Paris to produce the event, which kicked off with a four-minute light show projected onto Lady Liberty. Shortly after Moët & Chandon president and C.E.O. Frederic Cumenal spoke, the Statue of Liberty went dark and made way for a 360-degree laser show that sketched lines around the folds and outlines of the statue. “You’re not allowed to touch the statue, so we decided to use light projection to transform her without damaging the monument,” Blain-Mailhot said.
Publicis Events worldwide creative director Jerome Pasteur designed the performance, which required four projection towers and a lighting team of 10 people. “It was difficult because the statue is not a flat screen,” said Pasteur, who began sketching the concept six months ago. “To project the drawing in 3-D was a challenge.”
The guest list expanded greatly the night of the event, partially due to a mention in Page Six two days beforehand. The attendee count swelled from 800 to 1,300, which resulted in crowded ferries and long lines at the buffet and bar. While rumors had been swirling that V.I.P.s would arrive via helicopter, Blain-Mailhot said that no flying apparatus is allowed to land on Liberty Island. To cater to special guests, she created V.I.P. areas on the Circle Line ferries. (Another restriction: no Champagne on the ferries.)
In addition to anniversaries, the so-called “Fabulous Fête” also celebrated White Star’s first label change in 100 years. The new label’s creamy sheen was translated into the decor, visible in mini lounges made up of cream-colored, L-shaped couches and ottomans. Light also played a role in the look—from the lighting of the statue to the two pompommes girls decked in white hoop-skirts bearing tiers of lit-up Champagne glasses. A U-shaped tent provided indoor seating where a mirror-top bar was the centerpiece and featured glass cylinders speckled with lights. Outside, heaters kept lounge areas warm on the windy night, and guests had a rear view of the statue looming over the shiny black dance floor and DJs-of-the-moment the MisShapes. Waiters refilled glasses with magnums of White Star, all bearing Swarovski crystals, throughout the night, and caterer Tentation Potel & Chabot passed tomato and tuna madeleines and finger foie gras.
The biggest surprise of the night was a fireworks display—from Fordham University’s Ellis Island event taking place across the harbor. Guests at the Moët party assumed the pyrotechnic light show was part of the evening, but according to Blain-Mailhot, “It was a surprise for us all.”
—Courtney Thompson
Photos: Evan Agostini/Getty Images (Pompommes girl, fireworks), Nicole Villamora (all other photos)
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Publicis Events worldwide creative director Jerome Pasteur designed the performance, which required four projection towers and a lighting team of 10 people. “It was difficult because the statue is not a flat screen,” said Pasteur, who began sketching the concept six months ago. “To project the drawing in 3-D was a challenge.”
The guest list expanded greatly the night of the event, partially due to a mention in Page Six two days beforehand. The attendee count swelled from 800 to 1,300, which resulted in crowded ferries and long lines at the buffet and bar. While rumors had been swirling that V.I.P.s would arrive via helicopter, Blain-Mailhot said that no flying apparatus is allowed to land on Liberty Island. To cater to special guests, she created V.I.P. areas on the Circle Line ferries. (Another restriction: no Champagne on the ferries.)
In addition to anniversaries, the so-called “Fabulous Fête” also celebrated White Star’s first label change in 100 years. The new label’s creamy sheen was translated into the decor, visible in mini lounges made up of cream-colored, L-shaped couches and ottomans. Light also played a role in the look—from the lighting of the statue to the two pompommes girls decked in white hoop-skirts bearing tiers of lit-up Champagne glasses. A U-shaped tent provided indoor seating where a mirror-top bar was the centerpiece and featured glass cylinders speckled with lights. Outside, heaters kept lounge areas warm on the windy night, and guests had a rear view of the statue looming over the shiny black dance floor and DJs-of-the-moment the MisShapes. Waiters refilled glasses with magnums of White Star, all bearing Swarovski crystals, throughout the night, and caterer Tentation Potel & Chabot passed tomato and tuna madeleines and finger foie gras.
The biggest surprise of the night was a fireworks display—from Fordham University’s Ellis Island event taking place across the harbor. Guests at the Moët party assumed the pyrotechnic light show was part of the evening, but according to Blain-Mailhot, “It was a surprise for us all.”
—Courtney Thompson
Photos: Evan Agostini/Getty Images (Pompommes girl, fireworks), Nicole Villamora (all other photos)
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Moët & Chandon celebrated the 120th anniversary of White Star Champagne and the Statue of Liberty by creating an indoor and outdoor lounge area for 1,300 guests on Liberty Island.
Publicis Events worldwide creative director Jerome Pasteur designed the four-minute light show that unfolded on the Statue of Liberty.
Pasteur placed four projector towers in front of and behind the statue, and to the left and the right of it, creating a 360-degree light show.
The first two minutes of the show were a tribute to the statue in 1886 and resembled old newspaper drawings. The latter two minutes were more modern and featured sparkling lights that mimicked the bubbles in Champagne.
Two pompommes girls came out later in the evening, wearing hoop skirts that had tiers of Champagne glasses for guests to take.
The U-shaped tent had a modern lounge feel, and the focal point was the mirror-top bar featuring glass cylinders with lights.
The party's V.I.P. area featured white leather couches, accented by branded pillows and wooden sticks with mini lights.
Moët’s “Be Fabulous” ad campaign kicked off earlier this year and played a role in the “Fabulous Fête.”
Guests at the party assumed the fireworks display was part of the Moët party, but they were actually for a Fordham University event being held the same night on Ellis Island.
Guests arrived via Circle Line ferries and were escorted down a Liberty Island pier, where red carpet photos took place.
