In celebration of Chinese New Year, Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail (PR GTR) and Maison Martell have launched a range of limited edition bottles and gift boxes, including three travel exclusives. The Year of the Horse launches are supported by an omnichannel masterbrand campaign and multiple GTR activations across key locations in Asia-Pacific and the U.S.
Inspired by the Maison’s connections to the zodiac animal – in Chinese the word for horse, ‘mǎ’, mirrors the first syllable of ‘Martell’ – the collection was created to impact through the dynamic brushstrokes and custom calligraphy of contemporary Chinese artist He Datian. Across the Year of the Horse gift boxes, the brand name is presented vertically in large gold embossed lettering; the ‘mǎ’ rendered as a horse’s head, a symbol that is replicated throughout the supporting campaign and activations.
Renowned for his depictions of horses, the artist has created illustrations to correspond to the personality of each cognac. For Martell VSOP, there are overlapping images of a galloping steed; Martell Noblige Noir (a GTR exclusive) features a rearing horse; Martell Cordon Bleu features the animal on the bottle and pack changing direction at speed. He Datian’s work is also reflected on a special edition box for Martell XO, where the horse is shown in a proud, upright stance.
Separate to this collection but also part of the Year of the Horse celebrations is the ultra-prestige L’Or de Jean Martell Zodiac Edition – Assemblage du Cheval. A blend of aged Grande Champagne eaux-de-vie drawn from past Years of the Horse, housed in a Baccarat crystal decanter with horse-shaped stopper, it is limited to just 500 units worldwide, each bottle individually numbered. Two of these bottles, priced at 76,000 RMB / €9700 have already sold at World of Wines and Spirits, Singapore Changi Airport.
“Pernod Ricard is absolutely committed to long term sustainable growth in China and Asia-Pacific and as we approach Chinese New Year we are fully leveraging our market leading position in cognac that has successfully built up over decades of meaningful engagement in the region. Powered by social media and the incredible expertise within the Pernod Ricard GTR team, this stunning Year of the Horse collection and 360 marketing campaign will ensure we regain share of voice and anchor Martell as the top choice for gifting and celebratory occasions,” says Andrew Bardsley, Director, Prestige Brands & Champagne at Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail.
The Maison Martell Year of the Horse Limited Editions Collection will be on-shelf from December 2025 and activated across key airports in Singapore, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, Sydney, Melbourne and LAX from January through March 2026.
