Dive Brief:

• Louis XIII Cognac, owned by the Rémy Cointreau Group, unveiled a two-and-a-half-minute video that celebrates female change-makers in the fields of film, music and fashion, per information shared with Marketing Dive.
• "Believe in Time" draws on inspiration from Mother Earth and features music by Solange Knowles. The fashion featured in the campaign were contributed by Chinese couture designer Guo Pei. Mati Diop, the French-Senegalese director of Cannes Festival's Grand Prix winner "Atlantics," also contributed.
• "Believe in Time" was made with the Fred & Farid Group, marking the brand's sixth collaboration with the creative boutique in seven years, and mixes cutting-edge creative with a women's empowerment theme.

Dive Insight:

Louis XIII Cognac has a penchant for cutting-edge marketing that highlights the brand's positioning around exclusivity and prestige. "Believe in Time" is in step with this image while spotlighting three influential women just in time for the tail end of Women's History Month.

The video is meant to evoke the feminine nature of Mother Earth and centers on the Earth's oldest tree, Methuselah — which is located in California. Solange Knowles, sister of Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, narrates the brand video, which doesn't focus on the cognac until the very end. Instead, it centers around the evolution of Earth and humanity, starting with the Big Bang and continuing through modern times. Knowles, who represents Mother Earth, is dressed in art designed by Gou. The designs took more than two years to complete, and they use Chinese ancestral techniques for the embroidery. The video ends with the tagline, "Think a century ahead."

"Time and space are really at the foundation of my expressions. I'm a strong believer that the space and time surrounding our work is just as important as the work itself, and world making has been a part of my practice for quite some time now," Knowles said in a press statement. The focus on time could be a nod to how long it takes to produce cognac, which needs to age for a minimum of two years.

While the video never directly mentions Women's History Month, the timing of the female-centric brand content seems to be intentional. Instead of leaning into the annual month-long event, the brand goes for an evergreen approach. The timing makes the company look socially aware, without the effect of "trying too hard" or appearing disingenuous.