Veuve Clicquot Opens ‘Emotions Of The Sun’ Photo Exhibition
June 20, 2024: Originally published in Forbes.
The summer hosting season is in full effect. For wine brands like Veuve Clicquot, languid summer nights are the perfect showcase for glasses of crisp bubbles.
This week, Veuve Clicquot, the Champagne brand known as much for its delicate fizz as its very recognizable saturated yellow branding, debuted a stand-alone installation in New York’s Soho. “Emotions of the Sun,” a collaboration between Veuve Clicquot and Magnum Photos, runs through Sunday, June 23, at 216 Lafayette St. The custom gallery exhibition space, features 40 prints from eight photographers in the Magnum Photos’ collection, showcased against the citrus sunny tones of the Veuve yellow label. In a corner in the back, wine fans can splurge on limited-edition merch like Veuve Clicquot beach totes, sunglasses, and single-bottle wine lockers. (While Champagne is not served at this event, the brand has a partnership with Resy to connect consumers with venues serving the wine.)
According to Adriana Angulo, head of marketing for Veuve Clicquot USA, the “Emotions of the Sun” exhibition brings the brand to life by pairing imagery of sun-drenched summers with the bracing cool of French wine. “Veuve Clicquot has always been focused on Solaire Culture, the sense of joy and optimism inspired by the sun,” she says. “This is something we found reflected in the core of Magnum Photos agency and the photographers and artwork they represent.” She adds that photography, which is sometimes defined as “drawing with light,” links artists with sunlight. Similarly, French vineyards drink in months of sunlight and are later transformed into limpid, fragrant liquid expressions of terroir.
“Emotions of the Sun” is Veuve Clicquot’s first-ever photography exhibition. It allows “visitors to experience the world through the eyes of our photographers and their works taken across eight different countries, sometimes their own, sometimes a destination they love,” Angulo adds. “It is truly an honor to have given eight globally renowned photographers carte blanche to capture their own emotions inspired in them by the Sun and showcase their works with New Yorkers. The partnership has been met with so much enthusiasm and we couldn’t be more proud to present these works to the public.”
New York’s “Emotions of the Sun” is only the most recent of Veuve Clicquot activations. Past events include 2022’s “Solaire Culture” debut in Tokyo, featuring art by female artists, including Yayoi Kusama, Moyoco Anno, Rosie McGuinness and Sheila Hicks. In 2023, the traveling exhibition made a stop in London’s Mayfair and in Los Angeles. Alongside showstopping art, the exhibit also showcased original posters and early marketing efforts as a way to pay tribute to the brand’s 250 years.
Veuve Clicquot is also known for its glamorous annual polo event, which brings out celebrities, well-dressed society mavens and throngs of sparkling wine fans. (Details are not yet out about this year’s polo event.)
Veuve Clicquot’s wooing of new and existing customers comes as the industry overall weathers a post-pandemic demand cycle. After a boom during the COVID-19 lockdowns (which lifted multiple categories and industries), the froth of stockpiling is settling into more predictable levels. Over 172 million bottles were exported in 2022, up from 156 million bottles in 2019, according to the Comité Champagne. Close to 300 million bottles were shipped in 2023, according to the most recent data available; this represents a notch down of 8.2% from 2022’s 325 million bottles. Volumes may be stabilizing, but the market is still valuable. An increase in value for cuvées, especially in markets such as the United States and Britain, has kept industry sales valued at above 6 billion euros, according to the Comité Champagne.
According to organizers, over 6,000 reservations were booked by the first day. “Emotions of the Sun” runs through Sunday, June 23. Reservations are recommended but walk-ins are welcome.