Fayola Douglas
Sep 27, 2020

WATCH: Hennessy celebrates 150 years with a daytime firework display

Gunpowder and fireworks artist Cai Guo-Qiang staged the global event in celebration of Hennessy XO's 150th anniversary.

Hennessy staged an artistic, daytime firework display from the banks of the Charente River in Cognac, France over the weekend. The event was in celebration of the 150th anniversary of its Hennessy XO Cognac brand.

Artist Cai Guo-Qiang, known for his use of gunpowder and fireworks as an artistic medium, composed the 15-minute fireworks event in three acts that took place mid-day (3pm) on September 25th.

The fireworks were launched from 150 oak barrels symbolising the 150-year history of Hennessy XO, designed as an uplifting event amid the unprecedented context of a pandemic and was live-streamed globally on Hennessy's website, WeChat, Tencent, Facebook and YouTube.

Laurent Boillot, president and chief executive of Hennessy, said: "In these unprecedented times, what has become particularly clear is that we are one interconnected family. At Hennessy, our roots run deep thanks to longstanding relationships reaching back generations.

"Today, from his base in New York City, Cai Guo-Qiang reminds us of those time-honoured bonds with a masterpiece of universal beauty and resonance. On behalf of the Maison Hennessy, it is not only an honour and a privilege to host this artistic event, it is a demonstration of our steadfast commitment to our extended international family."

The full 33-minute video with behind-the-scenes footage may be viewed below.

Source:
Campaign UK

Follow us

Top news, insights and analysis every weekday

Sign up for Campaign Bulletins

Related Articles

Just Published

Jan 29, 2026

Gemini 3 becomes the default model for AI Overviews

A pair of updates from Google see the tech giant attempt to gain a further foothold in the battle for AI-powered search supremacy.

Jan 29, 2026

Google criticised after blocking measurement ...

YouTube owner sent a 'cease and desist' letter to Barb and Kantar Media.

Jan 29, 2026

Inside Campaign Connect Indonesia: what matters to ...

Candid conversations on growth, AI and the cultural trade-offs of scaling brands, with more than 100 marketers in the room.

Jan 29, 2026

Meta hits $200 billion revenue milestone on ...

Meta reports double‑digit year-on-year revenue growth, with advertising once again accounting for almost all of the top line.