International Beverage has detailed a marketing repositioning of its Larsen cognac, focusing on the brand’s founder’s native roots.
The company, which acquired Larsen from Anora Group for US$58m in mid-2023, has timed the update to coincide with the anniversary of Norwegian Jens Reidar Larsen’s founding of Maison Larsen in France’s Cognac region in 1926. The move centres around a “redrawn Drakkar pictogram – a powerful symbol of pioneering Viking spirit and a longstanding emblem of the House”.
The “new brand platform”, which will be joined by “an evolved look across our core range coming later this year”, a company spokesperson told Global Drinks Intel today (8 April), will be rolled out to all of Larsen’s markets in the coming months. Also lined up to mark the centenary are two “very special” (albeit unspecified) extensions to the four-strong core of VS, VSOP, XO and Larsen Drakaar.
‘Larsen is a cognac that has always done things differently and charted its own path, from the adventurous story of our founder to the fruity style of our spirit and our bold Nordic-inspired packaging,” said brand MD Emmanuel Dokhelar, who joined International Beverage from Champagne Bollinger almost exactly two years ago. “It’s very exciting to now be retelling the Larsen story to new audiences around the world during our 100th anniversary.’
Seven months ago, the brand owner, which is part of the Thai Beverage Public Co group, commenced a restructure of its leadership team, prompted by the departure of longstanding UK MD Malcolm Leask.
