Cognac tasting odyssey With Ridley Scott 

Every sip of the Hennessy X.O cognac is an odyssey for the senses. Award-winning director Sir Ridley Scott sweeps the viewer up in a rich and complex visual experience of the Hennessy X.O: The Seven Worlds.

Garnering over 150 million views on social media, this short film marks the first brand collaboration in 15 years for the legendary director of “Alien”, “Blade Runner” and “Gladiator.”
“I’m very pleased to partner with Hennessy for my first commercial in 15 years. From the very beginning, the project has been about the creative process. I saw the initial script and it immediately triggered something in me. I loved partnering with Hennessy as the creative process was an absolute priority throughout. The result is not simply advertising, it’s entertainment.”

With his characteristic cinematic signature, Sir Ridley Scott explores the seven tasting notes in Hennessy X.O, bringing a unique universe to life for each note.

“From the very beginning, the project has been about the creative process,” says Scott. “I started scribbling and those scribbles turned into a detailed storyboard and a productive visit in the Cognac region. I loved partnering with Hennessy as the creative process was an absolute priority throughout.”

In a fantastical, other-worldly outer space, we are transported into the X.O odyssey in full 3D, hovering between the real and the mythical. Explorers tap the walls of a cave, releasing a rich amber liquid evoking Sweet Notes. The scene glides over a desert-scape populated by a bronzed group of voyagers hiding in their shadows from the three burning suns (Rising Heat), passes through the creation of a beautiful AI crafted from spices (Spicy Edge), then soars into fiery space with burning clouds (Flowing Flame), before touching down on a crackled lunar terrain made out of chocolate that seems to defy the laws of gravity (Chocolate Lull). Deep in an exotic forest, a sprite takes form in dancing leaves (Wood Crunches) before transforming into a tree as the camera pans upward to gaze on a lush, Earth-like planet. There, a nebula being is revealed holding all the magical planets of taste (Infinite Echo). Unique lighting, futuristic costumes and Scott’s subversive sense of narrative bring every distinct flavour note to life in a tactile, hyper-graphic and poetic 4-minute opus. Each scene evokes the incredible journey of taste as well as the complex elaboration and art of cognac blending behind Hennessy X.O. — an expression of expertise and consistency over centuries in the making.