Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte – Unleash the bubbles! Absa | Corporate and Investment Banking > Insights and Events > Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte – Unleash the bubbles! SHARE Interview with Reagan Clay, Head of Brand – Vinimark Let’s begin by talking about the cool Nicolas Feuillatte campaign around unleashing the bubbles – what’s it all about? Nicolas Feuillatte (NF) is the youngest of the great Champagne Houses and this joyful, whimsical artwork captures their fresh and modern approach, whilst acknowledging history. Kim Roselier was chosen as the illustrator because of her lyrical, colourful style, she wanted to portray a revolutionary march or parade. It’s also a reference to the traditional Saint-Vincent processions so popular in French wine regions. The campaign's imagery depicts a joyful crowd carrying a bottle of Reserve Exclusive Brut, which signifies the collective strength and attitude of the growers. It’s deceptively simplistic because there is humour and connection between the different characters, for example, the sommelier scaling the side of the Champagne bottle. They pride themselves on being different and unconventional. It’s a modern Champagne brand, with a relaxed approach designed to re-enchant the Champagne experience and to appeal not only to the Champagne connoisseurs but also to a younger, trendier audience who don’t want to drink what their parents did! It’s about giving younger consumers access to the luxury world of Champagne with a contemporary twist. If you consider the NF emblem, this is also comprised of small details making a whole – the person, the vine, the heart and the star. Everything they do is about bringing together – blending the best grapes and the best people to create the best Champagne. This leads us to my next question about Nicolas Feuillatte being a co-operative, which breaks from tradition, why? NF has been one of the most remarkable, entrepreneurial stories about how the brand started and where it is today. Its unique cooperative model represents the largest collective of growers in the Champagne region and it's now the No.1 Champagne in France! NF brings together some of the best growers in the region who are all unique yet aligned through their passion and commitment to producing the best quality grapes under one banner. Creating something exceptional from nothing. The story began in 1972 when Henri Macquart launched the Centre de Vinicole de la Champagne in response to a surplus harvest and the need for growers to band together to ensure the sales of their grapes at sustainable prices. Strength and growth in unity is therefore a founding principle. Then in 1976 Nicolas Feuillatte, a charismatic and successful coffee businessman who had a passion for wine, saw an opportunity to create his own Champagne brand. He produced his first Champagne, which was happily embraced by his friends the Kennedys and Aristotle Onassis. In 1986, Nicolas Feuillatte joined forces with the Centre Vinicole. Coffee in the morning and Champagne in the afternoon – he was onto something! (Humble opinion of the writer.) They’ve had extraordinary growth… In 1995 NF produced 1 million bottles and in 2014 they reached a whopping 10 million. The youngest kid on the block went up against the biggest and the best to become France's favourite Champagne brand and to be ranked no.3 in the world in volume. The key focus for the South African market is to grow the core offering of the iconic blue labelled Reserve Exclusive Brut, the Rosé and the Demi-Sec and to increase awareness of this extraordinary Champagne. Watch out for our upcoming events in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban. I’m excited to showcase such a dynamic brand. When I first tasted the Brut, I was blown away. I felt cheated… why had I never heard of this before? It’s simply exquisite. Nicolas Feuillatte – the promise of enchantment every time. About Reagan Clay He’s all about “crafting brands that resonate and connect”. The pursuit of a BCom degree sparked a realisation that the true essence of business lay in the art of building brands, and that's when he decided to study Marketing and Consumer Research Analysis at UCT. More importantly, he fell in love with Champagne and wine. His new journey started in May 2023 with Vinimark as Head of Brands. “This is really an exciting opportunity for me to work on some amazing luxury Champagnes such as Bollinger and Nicolas Feuillatte.” https://cib.absa.africa/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/file_example_MP3_700KB.mp3 Related Articles CHAMPAGNE Timeless Elegance: De Venoge Champagne As we raise our glasses to celebrate the festive season, it seems fitting to delve into the world of a renowned Champagne house that has stood the test of time with grace and sophistication. De Venoge stands for excellence, heritage, and nearly two centuries of crafting fine Champagne. Read more CHAMPAGNE Champagne Boizel – “One family, one house, one tradition” Interview with David Rieu, Export Manager Champagne Boizel. Welcome to a rainy Johannesburg! I believe you have just got off the plane from France? 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