Dom Pérignon’s Branding: The Artistic Connection to Gen Z
Published: November 17th, 2024.
Walk into a high-end liquor store today, and you might feel like you’ve stumbled into an art gallery. Bottles adorned with bold, iconic designs—like Dom Pérignon’s collaboration with the estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat—blur the line between product and artwork. For $305, you can take home a bottle of champagne with Basquiat’s signature crown motif, a far cry from the multimillion-dollar price tag of one of his original works. It’s a fascinating shift in how alcohol brands market themselves, particularly to Gen Z, a generation that drinks less but values creativity and individuality more than ever.
What’s happening here isn’t just about selling alcohol. It’s about creating cultural objects that resonate with a generation redefining consumption. Gen Z views themselves differently. More than half—56%—consider themselves creative, compared to 44% of those over 24. Social media fuels this self-perception, with 47% of Gen Z saying it inspires creativity. No wonder they gravitate toward products that tell a story, evoke emotion or reflect an artistic identity.
For Gen Z, buying a Basquiat bottle isn’t about the champagne inside—it’s about owning a piece of culture. It’s a way to access the world of high art without a multi-million-dollar bank account. The bottle becomes more than just packaging; it’s a collectible, a conversation starter, and an Instagram-worthy symbol of personal style for many.
This approach isn’t entirely new. Iconic collaborations like Andy Warhol’s Absolut vodka ads in the 1980s paved the way, but today’s efforts feel more deliberate, almost necessary. Alcohol brands face a unique challenge with Gen Z, who are drinking less than previous generations and prioritizing health, mindfulness, and moderation. By embedding themselves in the art world, these companies are reframing their identity, moving away from being mere purveyors of alcohol to becoming curators of culture.
The psychology behind this strategy is powerful. Humans are naturally drawn to objects that carry emotional or symbolic weight. A bottle designed by Basquiat, KAWS, or Daniel Arsham isn’t just a product—it’s a statement about who you are and what you value. It’s a story you can own, display, and share. Whether the bottle is ever opened almost doesn’t matter.
This collector mentality is already visible in how people approach certain tequila and whiskey brands. Take Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila or Clase Azul, for example. Their bottles are often purchased for their design rather than their contents, doubling as decorative items and social status symbols. Alcohol brands collaborating with artists are simply taking this trend to the next level, turning limited-edition bottles into pieces of art that blend accessibility with exclusivity.
These products act as status symbols, but they also offer a unique kind of accessibility. You may never own an original Basquiat painting, but you can own a bottle featuring his artwork. That exclusivity and a tangible connection to creativity make these products irresistible to a generation that prioritizes storytelling over functionality.
It’s also worth considering what these partnerships mean for the brands themselves. Dom Pérignon’s managing director, Jacques Giraco, described collaborations like their Basquiat partnership as a way to “conjure emotion” and create deeper connections with consumers. The strategy makes sense. If Gen Z is drinking less, the product itself becomes secondary. What matters is the story, the design, and the feeling it evokes.
Ultimately, this isn’t just about Gen Z or alcohol—it’s about how brands adapt to a world where values shift. By connecting with art, these companies tap into universal desires for beauty, meaning, and individuality. And for a generation that values creativity above excess, this approach is a perfect fit.
Whether or not Gen Z drinks what’s in the bottle is almost beside the point. What matters is how the bottle makes them feel—and that, more than anything, is what today’s branding is all about.