Martell: from history to relevance.

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The brief

The idea

Be the Standout Swift.

One idea for the whole continent, translated locally: break free from dated ideas of how cognac should look, sound and behave. Martell doesn't interrupt culture; it enables it, in nightlife, music, festivals, fashion, food and mixology. Behind the idea sits one system: always-on Martell Nights and brunch takeovers, prestige Martell Manor dinners, and a rewards app that ties every experience to a purchase, with Brand Box units and a live dashboard giving one view of trade, media and consumers.

• Reposition Martell as modern, luxury and trend-forward
• Build product knowledge and taste confidence
• Disrupt the moment of purchase, on and Off Trade
• Lift trial-to-repeat conversion
• Speed up trade-up to Blue Swift and the prestige range
• Move Martell from being seen to being lived

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The last three feet: in the venue and at the shelf

Africa's bars, clubs and bottle stores are where choices are made, and they are almost all offline. The plan digitises the last three feet before purchase, so every screen, shelf and server leads to the same Martell app.

Ways in

Gift-with-purchase packs justify the price at the shelf. On Trade, Brand Box devices (with their own SIM where there is no Wi-Fi) register each venue, assign the campaign and tier, track stock and point-of-sale, and send the data back. Media runs on owned screens in South Africa and partner networks in Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania and the DRC, measured with third-party audience data.

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A member's journey, start to finish

Scan, connect, unlock: a member's whole Martell night in the app, in three parts. Join and plan, play at the event, then buy, climb and redeem.

1. Join and plan the night

1. 1 Join the Martell appA member requests access to the rewards app and verifies their age; the welcome screen already offers tickets to the Martell Manor.
2. 2 Open the Swift profileThe profile holds the member's Swift Points balance, their Silver or Gold tier, a digital ID, their history and their badges.
3. 3 Find a partner venue nearbyA map shows partner bars, restaurants, lounges and clubs close by, and each check-in is verified by location.
4. 4 Check in and earn pointsA verified visit earns bonus points and shows the balance moving toward the next tier.
5. 5 Book a Martell eventEvents are listed and sold in the app, some open to all and some for Silver or Gold members only, with points for every booking.
6. 6 Fill a VIP tableThe table buyer sends each seat to a friend by WhatsApp, email or SMS, and every guest registers to accept.
7. 7 Walk in with the Swift PassportAt the door, the digital passport's QR code carries every ticket the member has booked.

2. At the event: play, snap and share

1. 1 Register with a promoterA guest who buys a Martell serve from a promoter registers in seconds: name, date of birth, gender and mobile number, 18 and over only.
2. 2 Spin the Martell wheelEach purchase unlocks a spin for merchandise, vouchers or event tickets.
3. 3 Claim the prizeA winning spin shows the prize, such as a Martell money clip, with a QR code to collect it.
4. 4 Download the photo-booth shotThe roaming photographer's Standout Swift photo arrives by SMS, email or WhatsApp, and registering to download it gives one free spin.
5. 5 Post a challenge momentA new challenge each week: post the moment with the challenge hashtag, and a verified post earns 50 points.
6. 6 Invite a friendA WhatsApp link brings friends in; when they register and verify, the member earns points and credits.

3. Buy, climb and redeem

1. 1 Unlock points with a till slipAfter buying Martell VO, the member photographs the till slip with the store, the date and the Martell product in view.
2. 2 Submit and get verifiedImage recognition checks the slip and flags duplicates, and each validated VO purchase earns 100 points.
3. 3 Complete member surveysShort surveys on cigars, cocktails, travel and dining each earn 20 points.
4. 4 Climb the leaderboardA live leaderboard ranks the top members and keeps the competition friendly across the Martell community.
5. 5 Stay in the loopPush and in-app messages confirm points, purchases and vouchers, and announce new events.
6. 6 Order in the Martell storeMembers order bottles in the app, with better prices at higher levels, and every bottle is one entry into the grand prize draw.
7. 7 Claim Martell merchandiseCredits buy branded merchandise, from power banks to headphones and watches.

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A world of activation, from club night to manor dinner

Each experience targets one audience tier, with the most exclusive invitations going to the Inner Circlers. Regular club nights and day-time takeovers keep Martell present every month; intimate Manor dinners give the brand its premium moments.

Martell Nights

Monthly takeovers of premium nightlife venues, with specials on Blue Swift

Brunch takeovers

Every two months, bringing daytime crowds into the Martell lifestyle

In store

Regular tastings at high-end retail locations

Martell Manor

Quarterly VIP dinners for 30 to 50 guests, around cultural moments

Martell Manor

Some houses are visited. Others are remembered.

Old-world French craft meets modern African excellence: immersive dinners in luxurious, unexpected locations, hosted by the brand ambassador and the Swift Collective of creators, with gourmet food paired with Martell, live music, art and fashion. Eight themed dinners include a Legacy Dinner, Art and Cognac, Martell and Music, Fashion and Cognac, and a Tastemakers' Edition for business leaders.

01Inside the Manor: the cognac discovery rooms

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02How to get a seat

Buy Martell Blue Swift at a participating retailer and receive a unique code, or post your Standout Swift moment on social media with the approved hashtag. Winners are drawn at random and receive two seats at a Martell Manor dinner.

03Swift Kits: the same standard everywhere

Modular event kits keep Martell's luxury standard in every market and fit in a single transport unit, so a team can set up and strike an event in hours. The Gold Kit (prestige nightlife) has a branded modular bar, VIP furniture, LED lighting, a Brand Box Pro and hero screens. The Silver Kit (always-on tastings) has a compact tasting station, a digital kiosk for passport sign-up and a back-bar takeover. The Bronze Kit (recruitment and trial) has light branding, a sampling station and QR-led sign-up.

04The House of Martell

For festivals and street events: VIP enclaves that let Martell own the social scene outdoors, with a tasting bar, a lounge and a terrace.

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Status, rewards and the prizes

Earn, unlock and ascend. Every action earns Swift Points, a lifetime score that never expires, and credits to spend. Points move members up through Silver and Gold tiers, which unlock events, rare bottles and better prices.

Levels and badges

Members progress through Bronze, Silver and Gold levels, each unlocking more exclusive access, experiences and premium rewards. Badges mark special achievements, from completing challenges to attending events, each with bonus points and credits: Event Seeker, Top Referrer, Social Star and Swift Master.

The prizes

1. Instant Spin and win

   At events, buy a Martell drink from a promoter, or register from a photo-booth link, and spin for merchandise, vouchers or event tickets. In the venue, a Martell cocktail can win an instant prize at the end of the night.

2. Experiences Two seats at the Manor

   Retail codes and social posts enter a random draw for Martell Manor dinners. A national retail competition offers a fully curated trip to an international African music festival in Portugal.

3. The grand prize A luxury car

   Every bottle bought, in the app, through a promoter at an event or in a bottle store with a till slip, is one entry. A live digital draw at the Grand Finale party picks one verified winner, who must prove their identity.

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Every mechanic, in detail

Ten parts of one platform, powered by Social Wiiv. Where the proposal sets the points, the figure is shown.

01Venue check-ins

Members scan a branded QR code or check in by location at partner bars, restaurants, lounges, hotels and clubs, and earn points for each verified visit. Repeat check-ins drive return visits, and every check-in is logged, so Martell can see its top venues and regions.

02Post and tag challenges+50

A new challenge each week, such as “Standout Swift” or “The Moment After Dark”: post a photo or video on Instagram or TikTok, tag Martell and use the challenge hashtag. A verified post earns 50 points; the top three posts win bonus points, vouchers or free tickets. Posts are checked once a day, and inappropriate content is rejected. No posing, no staging: just the moment.

03Till slips+100

Buy any Martell VO at a participating liquor store or bar and scan the till slip in the app; image recognition checks the store, date and product, and flags duplicates. Each validated VO purchase earns 100 points, up to three bottles and ten glasses a week, and a Martell VO Shopper badge in the digital passport. Slips must be no older than seven days.

04Surveys+20

Short lifestyle and brand surveys, released through the campaign, each earn 20 points and tell Martell about its core drinkers' lives, preferences and behaviour. A sample question: which Martell expression best suits your evening mood?

05Invite a friend

Members send a WhatsApp link; when a friend registers and verifies their email and mobile number, the member earns points and credits, and friends' votes on photo entries earn more. Growth comes from peer recommendation on South Africa's most used messaging app.

06Events, tickets and VIP tables

Martell events are listed and sold in the app, some open to all and some for Silver or Gold members only, with points for every booking. A VIP table buyer assigns seats to friends by WhatsApp, email or SMS; each guest registers to accept, so every seat is tied to a verified adult. Entry is by digital passport QR code, face recognition or an RFID wristband.

07The online store

Members browse the full range and order in the app, delivered nationwide. Higher levels unlock discounted bottle prices, early access to limited releases, VIP bundles, celebration kits and event invitations, and every bottle bought earns points and one entry into the grand prize draw. Points also buy branded merchandise, from power banks to headphones and watches.

08Promoters and the photo booth

Promoters start and end shifts in the app at their venue, capture a photo of their set-up, and sell Martell serves by QR code, by card or cash, with each purchase unlocking a spin. A roaming photo booth lets a photographer capture Standout Swift moments: guests buy a Martell drink to have their photo taken, receive it by SMS, email or WhatsApp, and register to download it, which gives them one free spin.

09Social coordinators

Trusted community leaders with large, engaged groups promote Martell through WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, email and community groups, paid on performance for verified sign-ups, bottle purchases and ticket sales.

10Messages and the Situation Room

Email, WhatsApp, push, SMS and in-app messages carry welcomes, event news, reward updates and reminders. Behind it, the Situation Room: a live dashboard that brings trade, media and consumer data together across countries, for Martell's teams, agencies and activation partners, with exports and a direct link to Pernod Ricard's own database.

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What we proposed, and how it would be measured

From visibility to profitability.

A pitch, not a campaign: Hello Brand was a finalist and the programme has not run. The proposal was a six-month high-intensity launch, to prove the idea and the data before scaling.

The measurement framework

• Problem and market opportunity

  • Unaided and aided awareness lift
  • Confidence and badge value scores
  • Cultural relevance tracking

• Commercial metrics

  • Trial-to-repeat conversion
  • Rate of sale per outlet
  • Menu call and advocacy

• Portfolio metrics

  • Trade-up velocity from VO to Blue Swift
  • XO and XXO attach rate in VIP environments

• Ecosystem metrics

  • Drive consumers from first engagement straight into the VIP database
  • Repeat attendance at Swift experiences
  • Content amplification through creators and venues

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One system, five markets

Central control, local expression. Every market runs the same core mechanic, localised in tone, language and retail, and adapts how hard it pushes.

Gold markets

Owned spectacle and prestige theatre

Silver markets

Frequency and ritual consistency

Bronze markets

Cost-efficient recruitment and education

South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania and the DRC. Retail promotions run in three phases: tease (two to three weeks), launch (six to eight weeks, with in-store amplification and creators) and win and depart, when country winners are announced.

Audacity shapes legacy.

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