Marketing champagne calls for a celebration. For its new influencer program, Moët & Chandon is lifting a glass to cultural pioneers in cities across the country with the Nectar of the Culture event series, launched with the release of a limited edition bottle of Nectar Impérial Rosé. The brand partnered with Jonathan Mannion, an iconic photographer who documented the “Golden Era” of hip-hop, to help photograph the people, places and moments of what Moët & Chandon has dubbed the “Rose Gold Era” of culture.
For the program, Moët & Chandon identified influencers in each market and themed the event around their home city and creative space. Honorees include fashion designer LaQuan Smith in New York City (October), designer Teheran Jones of Exclusive Games in Atlanta (November), and rapper De La Gheezy in Miami (December). At events this spring, the brand will honor streetwear designer Don C and beauty guru Kristen Noel Crawley in Chicago (February) and sneaker innovator Dominic Ciambrone a.k.a. The Shoe Surgeon in Los Angeles (April).
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For the New York City kickoff event with Queens, NY-born Smith, Moët & Chandon took over a Garment District loft space for an evening event of toasts, food and photography. The design featured a mix of sheer textiles, branded mannequins and monochromatic fabric rolls that paid homage to the “eclectic nature” of a typical Garment District store’s stock and fixtures. Place cards and menus were designed to look like clothing tags. The guest list included press, influencers, VIPs and Smith’s family and supporters, like Lil’ Kim, Wale and BJ The Chicago Kid. After a cocktail hour featuring recipes inspired by Smith, the brand revealed a gallery of Mannion’s photographs of him. The evening continued with a multi-course dinner paired with rosé, of course. The dinner menus was inspired by Smith’s preferences, too.
“For us, it’s opening up how we want our brand to behave given that each of these artists is so different. The overall flow has worked well, but we’re not so strict about it because champagne is joyful and it’s all about celebration. That emotion is core to the program,” says Christine Ngo Isaac, brand director for Moët & Chandon at LVMH. “We’ve had a lot of fun brainstorming on ways to bring the ethos and essence of our brand to life to represent each pioneer correctly.” Agency: MATTE Projects, New York City.
Take a Spin Through the Nectar of the Culture Event Series:
Photo courtesy: Lewis Mirrett
