\n That has put immense pressure on one of the most recognizable liquor brands to evolve.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cIt\u2019s a strange thing to have a brand that is not consumed, but culturally very relevant,\u201d said Hennessy CEO Charles Delapalme.\n <\/p>\n
\n Hennessy is a mainstay in hip hop, with its name used in the lyrics of more than 4,000 tracks<\/a> and has a strong footprint in sports. In 2020, it became the NBA\u2019s first spirits sponsor and went viral<\/a> last year with its ad with longtime partner LeBron James. It was also recently named the official Cognac of Formula 1 through a broader sponsorship deal<\/a> with its parent company.\n <\/p>\n \n But these campaigns have not shed the image that Cognac has been \u201cpigeonholed as a \u2018dusty\u2019 spirit \u2014 something your dad sips once a year while staring into a fireplace,\u201d said Tom Khan-Lavin, CEO of YesMore, a drink marketing agency.\n <\/p>\n \n He added that it has \u201clacked the consistent, fresh reinvigoration needed to stay relevant.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Hennessy\u2019s US depletions, a key measure of sales from distributors to retailers, slid 9% to 2.92 million cases last year, according to Impact Databank<\/a>. That\u2019s a sharp decrease from its peak of 5.13 million in 2020, when customers spent heavily<\/a> on spirits during the Covid-19 lockdown.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cThe category hasn\u2019t effectively communicated why a younger audience should care about it, let alone buy it,\u201d Khan-Lavin told CNN. \u201cWhile rappers have done a heavy lift in keeping a few specific brands in the cultural conversation, that success hasn\u2019t trickled down to the rest of the category.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Repairing the shine of the top-selling Cognac brand is the biggest challenge facing Delapalme, who was named Hennessy\u2019s CEO a year ago.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cWe have a great history and heritage,\u201d Delapalme told CNN. \u201cBut we cannot only refer to this heritage and assume it\u2019s going to shape the next 260 years.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n To help future-proof Hennessy, Delapalme\u2019s first major initiative is entering ready-to-serve cocktails category \u2014 one of the few bright spots in the ailing alcohol industry.\n <\/p>\n \n Although overall alcohol consumption in the United States fell 5% last year, sales of spirits-based bottled cocktails rose 14%, according to trade group IWSR.\n <\/p>\n \n For Hennessy, it\u2019s a \u201cbig move,\u201d because it\u2019s the first time in the brand\u2019s nearly three-century history that it has sold a product containing ingredients besides Cognac itself, Delapalme said, adding that it \u201cticks many boxes\u201d to appeal to a younger customer.\n <\/p>\n \n First off, premade cocktails are lower in alcohol content, which ideally attracts younger, legal-aged drinkers who want convenience and prefer cocktails over straight spirits. Secondly, its lighter taste profile positions Hennessy for daytime drinking occasions where vodka-based seltzers like E & J Gallo Winery\u2019s High Noon, Sazerac\u2019s BuzzBallz, and Anheuser-Busch\u2019s N\u00dcTRL<\/a> are among the top sellers.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cReady-to-share products are growing because they solve very simple consumer problems: they are convenient, easy to understand, easier to share, and usually cheaper than ordering premium cocktails or buying full-size bottles,\u201d said Vas Art, head of marketing for beverage agency OhBev<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n \n Hennessy is entering an established category. Similar products include Suntory\u2019s On The Rocks and Diageo\u2019s Cocktail Collection, which use recognizable liquor brands, like Ketel One and Jim Beam, in their drinks. Both companies report the products have had double-digit sales growth in recent quarters.\n <\/p>\n \n Hennessy\u2019s entry uses Very Special, its cheapest Cognac, and comes in three different flavors: margarita-inspired version, berry (blackcurrants and blackberries) and an iced tea. The 375-milliliter bottle has about four servings and is priced at $15.99.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cHennessy Very Special Cocktails\u201d has been in development for more than a year and will begin rolling out to store shelves in June.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cThis is less about replacing Cognac and more about creating a lower-barrier entry point into the brand,\u201d Art told CNN, adding that younger drinkers, notably Gen Z and Millennials, aren\u2019t attached to traditional drinking formats and are willing to try new ones.\n <\/p>\n \n Hennessy\u2019s marketing strategy reflects the shift to a younger customer.\n <\/p>\n \n The ad campaign features two influencers (Quenlin Blackwell and Salem Mitchell) and \u201cLove, Victor\u201d actor<\/a> Michael Cimino. Combined, they have a massive reach on social media, totalling more than 5 million followers on Instagram and 14 million followers on TikTok.\n <\/p>\n \n The ads are set on rooftops, beaches and friends\u2019 apartments. They all feature daytime socializing rather than the dimly lit nightlife settings traditionally associated with Cognac.\n <\/p>\n \n Hennessy\u2019s Delapalme said the aim of the ads was to \u201csend a message of energy, joy and to make Cognac approachable.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Attracting younger consumers could help Hennessy in the long term, too.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cA young consumer may first experience the brand through their ready-to-share product. Later, as their income, taste, and drinking occasions evolve, they may move toward the core Cognac portfolio,\u201d Art said.\n <\/p>\n Struggles and success<\/p>\n \n Mo\u00ebt Hennessy is facing many of the same problems weighing on the broader alcohol industry, such as tariffs<\/a> and recovering from a post Covid-19 boon<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n \n The Paris-based unit has reported three consecutive years of revenue decline, with Cognac being its worst performer. Although Hennessy had a boost in the beginning of 2026, buoyed by strong sales for Chinese New Year, demand from the US remains weak and is forecasted to struggle for the rest of the year.\n <\/p>\n \n Shares of LVMH have declined about 25% since the start of 2026.\n <\/p>\n \n Still, Chris Gabaldon, CEO of Mo\u00ebt Hennessy North America, is optimistic that the company\u2019s premium brands \u2014 including Belvedere vodka, Glenmorangie Scotch and Dom P\u00e9rignon Champagne \u2014 are well positioned even as consumers dial back drinking.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cOver three-quarters of our portfolio plays in the super-premium market,\u201d he told CNN. \u201cWe\u2019re seeing this movement towards quality, so we think we\u2019re in a pretty good position to do that.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Meanwhile, the other part of his unit\u2019s name \u2014 Mo\u00ebt \u2014 is among its strongest sellers. The Champagne is \u201cresonating across price points because people still want to celebrate and they still want to be out.\u201d\n <\/p>\n![\"Glasses](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/gettyimages-863002172.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Ancient](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/gettyimages-918445834.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Hennessy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/hennessy-very-special-cocktails-square.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Bottles](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/gettyimages-2208992016.jpg\")
<\/p>\n