FRANCE. Leading Cognac house Courvoisier last month unveiled a new interactive travel retail unit at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport through retail partner Aelia.
Courvoisier, owned by Fortune Brands-run Beam Global Spirits & Wine, created an innovative and interactive consumer experience based around its Le Nez (‘the nose’) de Courvoisier programme. Charles de Gaulle Airport was the first travel retail location to feature the concept.
Le Nez de Courvoisier has been developed to “demystify the cognac tasting, bringing to life the different marques”. A multi-sensory experience, Le Nez de Courvoisier aims to promote a greater appreciation of the Cognac’s style through sight, sound and smell as well as taste.
Recognising the importance of innovation and creativity in reaching new consumers, particularly in the current economic climate, Courvoisier’s new interactive experience was designed to engage them on a deeper level.
Le Nez de Courvoisier focuses on the sense of smell, identifying three aromas within each of the seven key marques in the brand’s portfolio, all of which are found in varying levels in the Courvoisier blends. Primarily used as an educational tool for the distribution channel, this new unit represents the first time the programme has been used to communicate directly with the consumer, Courvoisier revealed.
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Charles de Gaulle Airport is the first travel retail location to feature the Le Nez de Courvoisier concept, incorporating the senses of smell and sound with “˜aroma flutes’ and aroma-inspired music composed by Laurent Assoulen | |
The outlet in Charles de Gaulle focused on the XO Imperial marque, which incorporates crème brûlée, candied orange and iris flower, all attributable to different aspects of Courvoisier’s production process. For example, the crème brûlée is a result of the toasting of the barrels used for ageing of the Cognac.
To enhance the sensory experience, Courvoisier has incorporated the sense of sound into its activity, working with leading French composer Laurent Assoulen. Assoulen is renowned for creating music inspired by aromas and has devised seven melodies to illustrate the scents represented by each of Courvoisier’s key marques.
To bring the Le Nez de Courvoisier elements alive, the retail unit included intricately crafted “˜aroma flutes’ featuring the three scents of Courvoisier XO. This was accompanied by detailed notes to help the participant identify and appreciate the Le Nez de Courvoisier concept. Consumers then listened to a recording that took them through the journey of Courvoisier XO Imperial. Rebecca Asseline, an expert on Le Nez de Courvoisier, was on hand to take consumers through the sensory experience, which finished with a tasting.
Philippe Lanusse, Senior Buyer at French airport retailer Aelia, commented: “We were delighted to launch the Le Nez de Courvoisier programme to the travel retail consumer in Charles de Gaulle Airport. It is a refreshing, new concept that allowed us to engage with potential Cognac consumers on a new level. The fully interactive experience gives them the opportunity to have fun whilst learning more about Cognac.”
Courvoisier Global Travel Retail Marketing Manager Amy Neville-Eliot said: “The Le Nez de Courvoisier programme provides us with an opportunity to bring to life the Cognac experience, by using sight, smell, and sound to maximise the pleasure of the tasting. Securing this site in Charles de Gaulle during the month of March was a great opportunity to launch the concept to the travel retail consumer. We are now looking at ways to roll it out with other travel retail customers in Europe.”
ABOUT COURVOISIER
Courvoisier is a premium brand of Beam Global Spirits & Wine, part of Fortune Brands, a leading consumer brands company with annual sales exceeding US$8 billion. Visit www.courvoisier.com.
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