Breaking The Ice With Moët
A Creative Guide to Timeless Campaigns
The Art Of War & Persuasion
Creating campaigns has always been my favorite part of marketing. Even the word "campaign" carries a sense of grandiosity, as if embarking on a monumental feat. In many ways, marketing campaigns are exactly that; after all, conquering minds and influencing consumer habits is far from easy. As Machiavelli notes in The Prince, seizing territory is far easier than winning over its people. So, how do you persuade an audience to join your side?
It All Starts With An Idea (And A Pivotal Moment)
Every major movement in history began with an idea. Ideas inspire people to take action, unite, and work toward a common goal. Marketing operates on the same principle. What core idea drives your campaign? Is it compelling enough to mobilize your audience? Is it distinct from your competition? Most importantly, does it authentically reflect your brand, or could it be mistaken for someone else's?
Ideas don’t materialize out of thin air—and neither do campaigns. They often stem from pivotal moments: a rebrand, product launch, seasonal shift, or holiday. Of these, holiday campaigns can be the most challenging. Depending on how your brand aligns with the season, it can be difficult to stand out or forge new associations.
The Collaboration: Moët Chandon’s "Moët On Ice"
As a Creative Director at a boutique agency in Mexico City, I had the opportunity to collaborate with Moët Chandon on a holiday season campaign. At first glance, champagne and the holidays seemed like a natural fit. Then came an unexpected twist: consumers were starting to drink champagne with ice.
Confused? So were we. This wasn’t just chilling champagne—people were adding ice cubes to their flutes. Our French CEOs were baffled. The trend had emerged in tropical destinations, where affluent consumers were trading snowy mountain holidays for sunny beaches and craving a colder, more refreshing champagne experience.
And so, "Moët on Ice" was born. But how could we market this unconventional way of drinking champagne?
Everyone has fallen under the spell of a catchy jingle. While our timeline and budget didn’t allow for an original tune, we leveraged a timeless strategy: tapping into familiar cultural elements and giving them a fresh twist. Our medium? Classic Christmas songs.
Take the line, "Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock." Odds are you sang it in your head. Now imagine, "Jingle the, jingle the, jingle the ice."
By playfully reimagining beloved holiday classics, we created a campaign that introduced Moët on Ice as a modern, festive tradition.
Music: Our Trojan Horse
To Make Something Timeless, Tap into Timelessness
I firmly believe this campaign would still make waves if it launched today. Why? Because of the timeless elements in its structure.
Although budget constraints eventually shelved it, the insights and strategies we developed shouldn’t be kept in the dark—they serve as a reminder of the incredible strength that bold, culturally resonant ideas carry.