Martell Cognac has retained DECK Agency to provide public relations, creative and event management services for the brand’s Canadian relaunch.
DECK (which stands for Digital, Experiential, Communications and Knowledge) has also been tapped by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts (FRHI) to provide creative, digital and web development services in Canada, the U.S. and Caribbean.
One of the oldest cognac houses in the world, Martell is owned by wine and spirits group Pernod Ricard, whose products are represented in Canada by Corby Spirit and Wine.
DECK was invited to pitch for the Martell account. “We have a pretty good footing in the luxury brand space as an agency,” said DECK president and CEO Jonathan Tick, noting the agency has done work for clients such as Jaguar, Land Rover and BMW.
“DECK came to us with unique partnership ideas and event themes that were perfectly suited to our brand vision,” said Erika Neudorf, brand manager at Corby Spirit and Wine, in a statement.
Martell has been concentrating on the fast-growing Asian market, but will be relaunching in Canada this fall after five years of absence. DECK’s relaunch strategy includes event programming in the Ontario market, influencer collaborations and brand partnerships.
“It’s about exposing cognac in a different sort of way,” Tick said. “Our goal is to show people it’s not just an older demographic” that drinks cognac.
He said people tended to think of cognac as a drink that is consumed “after dinner, in a stodgy environment with wooden bookshelves and an old wooden chair.”
“Our idea is to bring cognac into a different light by producing some exciting events and showing people it can be drunk before dinner, during dinner. It’s a versatile beverage,” he said.
Tick said the agency won the FRHI project in part because of the work it has done for Chase Hospitality Group. DECK pitched FRHI ideas and concepts around how it could increase its catering business.
DECK will strategize, design and develop an interactive and turnkey menu planning and event‐booking platform. It will be implemented at the Fairmont San Francisco and then be made available to all FRHI properties throughout the Americas.
DECK has also refreshed its branding and identity with a more contemporary look that includes the primary colours black and gold. It kicked off a newly redesigned website last week.
“We wanted to give ourselves a bit more of a premium look and feel because we tend to service clients that are more premium,” Tick said.
Formed in 2012, DECK has about 25 employees, 15 of whom in Toronto and the rest in B.C. and Alberta.
