I guess many of you know that the new bottle design of Hennessy had been recently launch at Double Tree, Hilton but how many of you know about the person who design the bottle? Lets head to something behind the scene . .Its pretty interesting. .

Well, lets head a bit way back on the history of it before we talk about another legendary person. Legends are shaped over time. The legend of Hennessy V.S.O.P. began on 7 October 1817, when the future King George IV of England asked the great French cognac House to supply him with a special cognac described in the records with the words “Very Superior Old Pale”.

This cognac’s personality has gone unchanged for nearly two centuries. Under the stewardship of Hennessy’s cellar master, the Tasting Committee hands down the secrets of selection, ageing and blending, as can be seen in the use, for maturation, of oak barrels that have lost part of their tannin, so as to avoid giving the eau de vie excessively woody notes while providing an elegant expression.

Naturally, such an iconic cognac should be presented in a bottle whose curves signify the elegance and generosity of its content, as well as its balance and exceptional harmony and designer Chris Bangle has been tasked with moving the design of the Hennessy V.S.O.P. bottle forward.

Christopher Edward “Chris” Bangle is an American automobile designer known for his daring design and far-reaching influence. Bangle is known best for his work as Chief of Design for BMW Group, where he was responsible for the BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce motor cars from 1992 to 2006. One thing which is very impressive is during his time in BMW overtook Mercedes as the global leader in premium car sales. he is also the creator of the emblematic M6, Z4 and the famous GINA Visionary Model concept car.

He took up the the task and for him, a product cannot be summed up by a function or an aesthetic as a product is living thing.

Then that’s where made him to design new carafe is his first masterpiece outside the automobile industry, the designer first sought to identify the cognac’s personality by delving into its history. He wanted to understand the road travelled by these eaux de vie, from the first cluster of grapes to their maturation in oak barrels. All this is inspired by the Hennessy V.S.O.P. bottle created in 1954.

How he design the bottles is very interesting . .

He start designing by slightly accentuated the curve in the side of the bottle, reinforcing the dynamic of its silhouette (by less than 1 millimetre). Added a hollow bottom to the bottle to adapt it for handling.

Drew two lines of perspectives in the glass around the central label, creating an optical effect by structuring the front of the bottle with a pyramid perspective (a reminder of the notion of uplift, dear to V.S.O.P.) Actually, this geometry attracts one’s regard toward the top of the bottle, where Chris Bangle chose to engrave the legendary arm and axe of the Hennessy family into the glass itself.

Revised the choice of paper and colours for the labels: a few millimetres from the arm and axe, the symbolic Hennessy V.S.O.P. oval is coloured in a dark grey ennobled with golden embossing, a reminder of the alchemy of contrasts comprising it. The main label highlights this refinement with a shimmering gloss imprinted with clusters of grapes and vine leaves in the background as a subliminal reminder of the origins of the cognac contained in the bottle.

The box that the bottle comes in has also benefited from this renewal, giving its edges over to a more modern vision: the sides have been refined so that all we see is the bottle, dramatised by photographer Adam Savitch. The “Superior” quality of the cognac is evoked by the liquid splash of V.S.O.P. on the back of the bottle, a reminder of the curves of an “S”. Lastly, one side of the box, called “Black Tie”, glorifies elegant purity on a black background decorated with a band of golden vine leaves, echoing the bottle’s label. This band is part of the heritage of the Hennessy V.S.O.P. box created in 1954, where it appeared in a red and gold version.

After creating the whole design, he mention that :

“Designing for Hennessy gave me the same sensations as working on designs for fast BMWs or a great Rolls Royce. It is that experience of a unique emotion.” 

I just love the video behind the scene on how he created the bottle. Impressive that’s what I mean in the beginning!!!

I am pretty sure you have read what is going on behind the seen and now are you keen on getting one bottle yourself ???

Well well, this might be your lucky day as I will be giving away this new bottle to you first as it will only flood into the market by July/August.

What you need to do is very simple . .Watch the video above. . Then . .answer the following question:

Question 1 )

What is the symbol of Hennessy engraved in the glass of the new bottle?

Question 2)

In your own opinion, what makes Hennessy V.S.O.P a legendary cognac?

After answer the question, please like Hennessy Malaysia Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/HennessyMalaysia .

Contest ends on 15th June and winner will be on this blog post on the next day. Winner must also be a fan of their page, if not will be emerge as the winner.

The most accurate + creative answers in the comments box below (who must also be a fan of Hennessy Malaysia on Facebook) gets a new bottle of Hennessy V.S.O.P. designed by Chris Bangle worth more than RM300! 

What you waiting for .. quickly comment in this blogpost comment box! Good Luck to all of you . . 🙂

*Contest open to non-Muslim participants who are above 18 years of age only. 

Contest Winner is Karen

( PR company will contact you on collection of your bottle. Thank you for all your participation.)