Campaign Trail is our analysis of some of the best and worst new creative efforts from the marketing world. View past columns in the archives here.
Though champagne is often regarded as a celebratory beverage, Veuve Clicquot's latest work aims to show that bubbly is also fit for savoring life's littlest moments. The Moët Hennessy champagne house conveys that message through a link to sunshine, the color of which has garnished the bottle's label since 1877.
A fresh ad, entitled "Good Day Sunshine," explores the sun through the eyes of a young man, who gazes at round yellow objects in his proximity — a woman's earrings, a bouquet of flowers, a balloon and an egg yolk — as metaphors for the rising sun and the possibilities a new day can inspire. Created by Havas-owned ad agency BETC Etoile Rouge, the 30-second anthem spot is set to a cover of the Beatles' song "Good Day Sunshine" and keys into the champagne brand's 250th anniversary.
Veuve Clicquot will continue its sun-centric theme throughout 2022 in an effort to instill joy and optimism through fresh marketing and other initiatives.
"The little moments deserve to be celebrated as well," CMO Carole Bildé told Marketing Dive. "The 'Good Day Sunshine' campaign expresses just that — [how] one can find that bit of joy, optimism and solaire in everyday moments."
Blending old and new
Along with the core 30-second spot that debuted on April 11, shorter 15- and six-second snippets will appear across social media and digital channels including Vogue's website and app, Roku, YouTube and Hearst Luxury properties Esquire and Elle. Static out-of-home (OOH) ads will be on display in New York and Los Angeles, and magazines Modern Luxury, Vogue and Harper's Bazaar will house print ads.
A later phase to the campaign will include a "digital showcase" of Charlotte Cardin, who covered the Beatles song for the ad. Veuve Clicquot did not share further details.
Drawing visual parallels between the bottle's label and sun-colored orbs in the ad helps to establish a closer product tie, associating packaging and color with notions of sunshine and optimism.
"For two-and-a-half centuries, Veuve Clicquot has represented a profound state of optimism and solaire culture, starting with Madame Clicquot's belief that each new day opens a path to brighter futures," Bildé said. "This mindset is carried on today, from the iconic yellow hue of our labels to the ethos of the 'Good Day Sunshine' campaign, where yellow objects are discovered and symbolic of the new day and all its possibilities."
At the same time, incorporating a remix of a classic Beatles song blends old with new, helping to give the storied champagne brand an air of modernity and innovation in today's competitive alcohol space.
Unexpected occasions
The brand and agency team partnered with musician Cardin, photographer Tyler Mitchell and director Jan Gleie to incorporate their respective creative twists into the anniversary effort, weaving in what "solaire and Veuve Clicquot mean to them," per Bildé.
"The result is a spontaneous and sensitive gaze on the house, and life in general, and a perfect blend of our partners' and the house's joint interpretation of solaire," Bildé said.
While "Good Day Sunshine" builds on the 250-year-old brand's legacy as a high-end beverage, it marks a creative approach that appears to bring Veuve Clicquot's lux image somewhat down to earth. Depicting everyday objects like an egg yolk and umbrella — and in a video set to a tune by the bestselling band of all time — makes the luxury brand feel a bit more accessible to the average consumer, despite its hefty price tag.
"The result is a spontaneous and sensitive gaze on the house, and life in general, and a perfect blend of our partners' and the house's joint interpretation of solaire."
Carole Bildé
Chief marketing and communications officer, Veuve Clicquot
This isn't the first time Veuve Clicquot has attempted to shift the perception of its brand and the oft-considered stuffy champagne category. In 2016, it debuted a campaign exclusively on Tumblr, with videos showing unexpected situations like sneaking into a VIP party to hand off a resume to a potential employer. The central theme was to use Tumblr, a surprising platform for Veuve Clicquot, to emphasize all the informal places where champagne can be consumed. In 2018, the brand teamed with artists to create "Rebels," an experiential installation that challenges convention and conformity, linking punk art to social movements in British culture.
"Good Day Sunshine" ties into underlying concepts from the brand's past efforts, like making the brand more approachable to a range of consumers and weaving in messages that are somewhat unexpected from a 250-year-old French champagne brand.
"As champagne enthusiasts see the 'Good Day Sunshine' campaign on their streets during the sunny days of spring and summer, consumers are encouraged to approach the day with audacious optimism and a joy for living," Bildé said.
