Champagne brand picks Communicator for revamp

Champagne maker Lanson has appointed integrated agency Communicator to create a campaign to reposition the brand.

The agency won the business without a pitch, and it is believed there was no agency of record. The campaign will launch this autumn.

Communicator managing director Chloe Ellis says the campaign will take a different approach from traditional champagne advertising.

She adds: “A lot of the champagne advertising looks the same – featuring the bottle or a glamorous lady. Though relevant to the image of champagne, these images do not communicate the product’s qualities.

“We will start from the product itself and hone the product’s benefits.”

Lanson was acquired by the Boizel-Chanoine Group in 1996. The brand has run TV and print advertising in the past, but has had limited marketing in previous years.

The new brand direction and renewed marketing push coincides with the launch of new packaging, which has been rolled out this year.

Lanson is the second biggest brand in the champagne market and is worth £115m (Mintel). Moët & Chandon is the market leader with a £189m share and Veuve Clicquot is a close third with a £113m share.

Since the beginning of the Nineties, Lanson has set up partnerships with exclusive sporting clubs and events in cities that include London, Milan and Paris.

Lanson is sold in five continents and sells around 6 million bottles a year, making it the world’s sixth largest champagne house.