BY Fast Company 3 MINUTE READ

Sustainability
and climate
change are two
focal points within the global
warming discussion as our
environment becomes more
vulnerable each year.

Fast
Company SA chats to
Ludovic du Plessis, Global
Executive Director of Louis
XIII – the most exclusive
spirit on earth – about his
company’s campaign to
help inspire a more
sustainable future for the
next generation.
You recently launched
your campaign
called ‘100 Years’ in
collaboration with
Pharrell Williams.
Can
you briefly tell us more
about this campaign?
LOUIS XIII partnered
with Pharrell on this
innovative project due
Thinking a
century ahead
Inspired by sustainabilit y,
LOUIS XIII launches the
‘100 Years’ campaign to
help bring awareness
to global warming
to a shared dedication
to environmental issues.
The original song is a
creative expression of
the delicate relationship
between nature and time,
and the effect humans
have on their environment.
Each decanter of LOUIS
XIII represents the life
achievement of generations
of Cellar Masters, so LOUIS
XIII must always think a
century ahead.
100 Years premiered
during a private listening
party in Shanghai in
November 2017, where
Pharrell presented the
song for one time only.
The exclusive performance
was recorded onto a
record made of clay from
the chalky soil of Cognac
and stored in the cellars
of LOUIS XIII in a state-of-the-art
safe that is only
destructible if submerged in
water.
If sea levels continue
to rise at such an alarming
rate due to climate change,
scientists project that in
100 years a significant
portion of the world’s land
might be underwater. The
only way to guarantee this
original piece of music will
be heard again in 2117, one
century from now, is if we
address the consequences
of global warming – if we
do not change our way of
living, future generations
will never be able to hear
this song. “100 Years: The
Song We’ll Only Hear If We
Care” by Pharrell Williams
will be out in 2117, but only if
we care.
You partnered with
actor and visionary John
Malkovich in 2015 where
you created 100 Years:
The Movie You Will Never
See. Can you tell us more
about this artistic work
and what it represents?
In November 2015, we
announced an original
film starring actor John
Malkovich, which envisions
Earth one hundred years
from now and will not be
released until 2115.
Directed
by Robert Rodriguez, 100
Years: The Movie You Will
Never See was inspired
by the century of careful
craftsmanship and patience
it takes to create each
decanter of LOUIS XIII
Cognac. To ensure that 100
Years remains secure until
its official premiere in 2115,
one century from now, the
film was placed in a stateof-the-art
safe which will
open automatically in 100
years when the timing is
complete. One thousand
guests from around the
world received an exclusive
invitation to give to their
descendants to attend
the premiere of 100 Years,
on November 18, 2115, at
the House of LOUIS XIII in
Cognac, France.
The focus point in South
Africa and across the
world is sustainability.
How are you contributing
to a more sustainable
future?
The central goal of “100
Years: The Song We’ll
Only Hear If We Care” is to
raise attention for global
warming and support
the international effort to
stymie climate change.
LOUIS XIII must always think
a century ahead, as the role
of the Cellar Master is to set
aside the finest eaux-de-vie
as a legacy to his successors
for the coming century.
Our intention with this
project is to be a flag bearer
for this major issue of the
21st century.
The project
was devised as an artistic
exploration of the way our
actions today shape the
world of tomorrow that we
hope will sensitise as many
people as possible to be
attentive to their actions.
Preparing the legacy
we will leave behind for
future generations is an
integral part of our brand
DNA, and our involvement
in the international effort
to combat climate change
is not only legitimate,
it is imperative. Since
each decanter is the life
achievement of generations
of Cellar Masters, LOUIS XIII
must always think a century
ahead, and the stability of
our environment ensures
not only the future of LOUIS
XIII Cognac, but also the
world around us.