Musician, influencer, and movie star Janelle Monae might be the least predictable artist working today, smoothly sliding from genre to genre while maintaining the certain center that holds together her power as an artist. Whether she’s laying down a ferocious anthem like “Django Jane” or writing a category-busting collection of short stories, the Dirty Computer star is always pure Monae.
So teaming up with a brand like Martell, the French cognac maker that wants to steward its venerable brand into a more inclusive, celebratory, profitable future, makes sense for Monae. And for Martell as well.
They first put their names together in 2021, announcing the “Soar Beyond the Expected” brand campaign in 2021. The latest installment — a short film featuring Monae — continues the story, directed by Ewurakua Dawson-Amoah.
Martell says it “celebrates those who boldly redefine convention to benefit the many instead of conforming to codes that favor the few. Drawing inspiration from this ethos and Janelle Monae’s Afrofuturistic optimism, Martell is looking to the past as a launchpad for the future to bring the campaign to life with a ‘Cocktail of the Future.'”
Monae expounded on her role and the connection between her own expansive artistic metier and the Martell brand, saying, “Afrofuturism is a principle that is redefining culture as we know it, awakening us to the world’s everchanging possibilities. Now, we have a new cocktail we can enjoy as we celebrate our work and create our future.” That cocktail of the future recipe is here.
