Coco Chanel, founder of the eponymous fashion house whose designs have stood the test of time, is undoubtedly France’s most famous mademoiselle. However, one other woman has had just as much cultural influence, yet far less recognition: Madame Clicquot.
Born in 1777 and widowed at 27 years old with a 3-year-old daughter, Barbe-Nicole Clicquot managed to persuade her father-in-law to allow her to take the reins of his and her late husband’s wine business in an era when women weren’t permitted to vote.
She brought the vineyard back from the brink of destruction, and pioneered techniques that birthed the modern Champagne industry as we know it in the process; including the invention of the riddling rack, which allowed her to mass produce bubbles for rich, thirsty clients.
Clicquot’s story, and her audacious spirit, are a gift to the brand’s chief marketing officer, Carole Bildé, who is highlighting Clicquot’s legacy in a specially curated free exhibition in London.
The “Solaire Culture” showcase, curated by Camille Morineau and designer Constance Guisset, was designed to mark the brand’s 250th anniversary and pay tribute to Veuve Clicquot’s sunshine yellow label, first printed in 1876 to distinguish dry champagne from sweet in the British market. The experience arrives from tours in Tokyo and L.A., and pays homage to the company’s marketing ethos centered around joyful optimism and seizing the day.
“We wanted to bring purpose to our anniversary celebration and at the same time tell the story of Madame Clicquot, which not a lot of people know,” Bildé told Adweek. “I’m obsessed with bringing depth and purpose to the brand.”
I ask myself the same question all the time: ‘What would the world miss if we didn’t exist?’
Carole Bildé, CMO, Veuve Clicquot
Running from mid-May to June 6, the exhibition features treasures from the brand’s archives, including a Veuve Clicquot Champagne bottle recovered from an 1840s shipwreck and a letter signed by the founder herself.
It also showcases nine specially designed tributes to Madame Clicquot from contemporary women artists, including Yayoi Kusama, Sheila Hicks and Moyoco Anno. A café on the top floor serves eggs sunny side up, while a shop sells bottles of Veuve Clicquot and related merch.
Launched with help from creative strategy partner ScienceMagic, the exhibition is part of a wider push from Bildé to show where the brand can fit into people’s lives, while underscoring her belief that selling Champagne is about more than selling desirability—it’s about selling a lifestyle.
“Champagne isn’t just about celebrating an anniversary or birthday. I’ve focused my energy on making it exist beyond the wine and spirits category,” she said, pointing to the brand’s 2022 campaign “Good Day Sunshine” from Paris-based luxury ad house BETC Etoile Rouge, which weaved a strong thread between its luminous visual identity and approaching life with joviality.
Inspirational, not just aspirational
Luxury advertisers have always been masterful at distilling their history and commitment to craftsmanship into a brand message centered on heritage and quality; Chanel, Tag Heuer and Louis Vuitton are well known for their origin stories.
However, unlike advertisers at the lower end of the scale, these historical houses have rarely had to think about what their company stands for. Until now, that is.
In the current climate, increasingly conscious luxury consumers want the brands they’re buying to demonstrate strong values and deliver purposeful products. According to Nielsen, millennial and Gen Z consumers are driving 85% of global luxury sales growth, and their expectation for luxury brands to be aligned with their own values is becoming increasingly important.
Bilde said luxury brands don’t get to opt-out of standing for something: “As a brand you need to be true to what you stand for and very clear about communicating it. Those are the basics of brand building.”
For her, Veuve Clicquot’s social purpose is bound to its identity as a female-founded brand. Since 2019, the now LVMH-owned Maison has been running its own initiative support entrepreneurial women via an international program dubbed Bold.
Champagne isn’t just about celebrating an anniversary or birthday. I’ve focused my energy on making it exist beyond the wine and spirits category.
—Carole Bildé, CMO, Veuve Clicquot
It first launched the Bold award 50 years ago in 1972 to recognize successful women in business. Since then, Bold has grown to include more awards, coaching for female leaders, and a comprehensive 2019-founded research project dubbed the Bold Barometer, which offers an insight into the cultural and structural factors that influence women in business across 14 counties, including Australia, France, the U.K and the U.S. The third annual report is due to launch in the coming months.
The brand is also working on a database of female founders that it will open source to press outlets, so there’s no excuse for women’s voices not to be amplified.
“Bold is super important because it’s a true incarnation of who we are, what we believe in—a mindset of innovation and pushing boundaries, and the idea that women can bring something different to the world.”
Nods to Bold are peppered throughout the exhibition, with an interactive space set out for people to explore the results of the Barometer and register their own business too.
Champagne sales hit a record $6.4 billion in 2022, according to Comité Champagne, the trade association for the Champagne industry. In the U.K., Veuve Clicquot is behind Moët and Lanson in sales for the year, showing Bildé’s cohesive approach to marketing is yielding fruit.
Bildé said the success of “Solaire Culture” will be measured on hard metrics such as how many people come through its doors, and sales in the cafe and gift shop. However, softer KPIs including social buzz and hashtag activity will also be important. Press coverage and earned media will be important to get a sense of how “connected” people feel to the exhibition.
“It’s all about vibrancy, freedom and optimism, there’s sunshine everywhere so we want to see how people engage with with,” she added.
ScienceMagic, will collaborate with Veuve Clicquot to support the exhibition launch and help program the month-long celebration. As part of this, the company will develop creative content and communications, as well as leading on influencer and talent strategy.
