French cognac house Martell has launched a redesign of its iconic Martell Cordon Bleu cognac, featuring design by London agency Nude Brand Creation.

The cognac house celebrates its 300th anniversary in 2015, and for Nude Brand Creation, it was a privilege to be asked to honour Martell Cordon Bleu’s proud and unmatched heritage.

An illustrious history

Martell is the oldest of the great Cognac Houses and more than one hundred years ago it gave the world Martell Cordon Bleu. Nude was briefed to update the packaging with a design that reflects the luxury nature of the product, a fresh and elegant presentation for this iconic cognac.

Nude would need to maintain the existing strengths of the current packaging including its simplicity, authenticity and consistency over time. Mike Parsonson, partner at Nude, says: “Working on Martell Cordon Bleu was like a careful restoration project. There is so much brand history to respect and retain.”

A careful restoration

The Nude team revived some of Martell Cordon Bleu’s history: The classic two-part label, whose storied past served as the inspiration for this redesign, has returned. The new Martell visual elements have been incorporated including the crest and swift. The signature of Edouard Martell is given prominent pride of place to honor Martell Cordon Bleu’s creator. Every element was carefully considered. Nude worked closely with a hand-lettering artist to ensure the typography evokes the rich and luxurious side of the prestigious cognac.

“We were inspired by the brand’s rich history and wanted to celebrate its ageless elegance,” says Parsonson. “What is more, the reference to the historic two-part label and its modern interpretation and unusual shape should provide genuine standout on shelf.”

The end result is a carefully crafted update of an iconic French brand, which respects its history and its place in the world as a luxury drink.

Along with Martell Cordon Bleu, Nude has also updated the packaging for Martell VSOP which both launch during the brand’s 300th year.