You couldn’t miss it. A bright red, branded shipping container with its doors and walls propped open to reveal several interactive sampling stations surprised passersby when it popped up in the usually quiet parking lot at The Loop’s ABC Fine Wine & Spirits store in Orlando on July 11. It was Hennessy’s Made for More Tour, which had rolled into the city, one of the tour’s last stops. And at every corner, attendees were seeing red, literally.
Hitting five states and almost 20 cities across the South this summer, the Made for More Tour presented experiences that touched the senses. Each stop along the tour—which kicked off in Charlotte, NC, on May 26 and wrapped in Jacksonville, FL, on July 13—showcased Hennessy’s own twists on classic cocktails and gave consumers 21 and older the chance to explore their cognac preferences through samples and personalized touchpoints.
We joined the Orlando stop and were immersed in the full Hennessy experience. Greeted by brand ambassadors dressed in red tennis dresses and visors, attendees first entered their information on tablets to receive a logoed plastic red cup. They then moved to an exhibit displaying bottles of Hennessy Very Special and Hennessy V.S.O.P. under screens with moving graphics that highlighted the ingredients that make up three signature cocktails: Hennessy Margarita, Hennessy Berry Mojito and Hennessy V.S.O.P. Paloma. QR codes next to the bottles led to recipes for each.
Red-clad brand ambassadors guided attendees through the sensory experience.
But the standout was the scent experience. A brand ambassador spritzed two or three scents together onto a perfume test strip to create the aroma representative of the respective cocktails. Of all the scents, ranging from fresh to fruity, the paloma was our favorite. Keeping that fragrance in mind, we thought the paloma selection would carry over into the next station: a large touchscreen that prompted participants to “Find Your Signature Hennessy Cocktail…” Surprisingly, it did not.
After a few questions designed to identify users’ taste and lifestyle preferences (like how we want to lounge on the beach with a Henny-Rita), the quiz revealed the Hennessy cocktail “Made for You,” and ours was revealed to actually be the Hennessy Berry Mojito, mirroring our “refined yet approachable style.” (We’ll take it, Hennessy!) Following the results, attendees headed into the ABC store to sample their personalized cocktail at a canopied cart with fruit décor. Brand ambassadors poured the cocktails into plastic Hennessy shot cups and added garnishes.
In addition to the tailored sampling experience, back outside, attendees enjoyed photo ops with a red Hennessy truck carrying giant fruit props in its bed and lawn games like putt-putt and Jenga on a patch of artificial grass. A local dj and an iHeartRadio booth kept the party vibe up until sundown. In the end, Orlando showed up, and the Hennessy team commented that they were surprised by the extraordinarily high turnout. Elevating a weeknight for consumers, even for a few minutes, at the height of summer? Cheers to that.
Spin Through the Made For More Tour:
