Case Study: Billecart-Salmon Champagne

Creating and delivering the renowned champagne brand’s first global publicity campaign to mark its 200th anniversary.

Objective

The historic Champagne brand Billecart-Salmon was planning celebrations for its 200th anniversary and wanted to develop its first global publicity campaign to mark the occasion and to increase engagement with press and influencers. One of the few remaining independent and family-owned Houses in France, the company mixes ancestral traditions with the most modern technologies to create elegant and harmonious champagnes aged in chalk cellars dating from the 17th century. Billecart-Salmon was orchestrating a series of events throughout Europe, Asia and North America to celebrate 200 years of winemaking excellence. 

Tactics

Billecart-Salmon created a gastronomic world tour in partnership with three-star Michelin Chef Alain Passard of the famed l’Arpège restaurant with events in London, Tokyo, Singapore, New York and Los Angeles. At each stop on the tour, Chef Alain Passard partnered with an acclaimed local chef to create a truly memorable experience. The company unveiled a special limited edition Bicentenary Cuvée at each event alongside a champagne pairing menu. The 200th anniversary celebrations culminated with an elegant garden celebration hosted at the family estate in bucolic Mareuil-sur-Aÿ.  Hey Jupiter established a global PR team in each region and invited key press and influencers to all events on the world tour. This included a press trip to the family estate to experience an immersive tour of the property and conduct interviews with key executives and family members. Other exciting activities were planned throughout the year, including the launch of a new vintage, masterclasses for journalists and influencers in key markets, and numerous seasonal initiatives.

Results

Billecart-Salmon achieved more press and influencer coverage than ever before as a result of the campaign. Coverage in the UK included articles in key trade titles including The Drinks Business and Harpers Wine & Spirit as well as consumer outlets such as Press Association, Decanter, The Stylist and The Times. Coverage in the US included Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Food & Wine Magazine, Town & Country, GQ and Forbes, among others. Coverage in Japan included titles such as Vogue, Premium Magazine, Asahi Shimbun, Sankei Shimbun and many others. Influencers across the globe created posts on Billecart-Salmon news and events on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.