Maison Martell has put a limited-edition Afrobeats VS Cognac on U.S. retail shelves at a $35 SRP, pairing a five-year relationship with Nigerian superstar Davido with the debut work of newly appointed Martell Creative Partner Prince Gyasi. The bottle, now available at fine retailers nationwide and online, marks the first major product expression of the Ghanaian visual artist's role with the Cognac house.
The Design
Gyasi rendered Davido's portrait at the center of the VS label, surrounding it with soundwaves and framing the composition in Martell's signature blue, waves of rich gold, and saturated color drawn from the landscapes of West Africa. Known for his synaesthesia — a condition that links colors with words and emotions — Gyasi translated the movement and energy of Afrobeats into what he described as a visual world "inspired by sound, rhythm" and the continent's geography. A companion XO expression carries the same visual language and launches exclusively across Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya.
Why On-Premise Buyers Should Take Note
For bar directors and spirits buyers, the release is a case study in how premium cognac brands are using artist collaborations to drive collector interest and trial at an accessible price point. At $35, the VS sits squarely in the well-to-call range where velocity matters, and limited-edition packaging routinely outperforms standard labels on shelf — a dynamic that translates directly to back-bar display and by-the-glass storytelling. Sébastien Borda, VP Marketing Prestige at Pernod Ricard, framed the strategy plainly: "It reflects the spirit of celebration and creative exchange we want people to experience through Martell."
Davido's own footprint lends the launch credibility beyond the bottle itself. The artist wrapped a 42-date world tour — billed as the largest African concert tour of 2025 — spanning twelve countries across four continents, debuted at Coachella, and appeared on the official FIFA World Cup 2026 album alongside Major Lazer and Nelly Furtado. His music video for Already Falling, filmed at Martell's historic Château de Chanteloup estate in Cognac, France, features the Afrobeats bottles and serves as an extended brand film across his audience of more than 30 million social followers — marketing reach that most spirits campaigns cannot buy outright.
Cultural Momentum in Spirits
The launch reflects a broader pattern in premium spirits and on-premise beverage strategy: heritage brands leaning into genre-driven culture moments to recruit younger, diverse consumers without abandoning luxury positioning. Cognac, in particular, has a long history of resonance with hip-hop and Afrobeats audiences, and Martell is leaning into that cultural alignment with a structured, multi-year artist partnership model rather than a one-off endorsement deal.
For operators tracking spirits trends across the restaurant and bar sector, the Afrobeats collection also signals where limited-edition cognac releases are heading — toward collaborations that generate content and conversation as much as they generate case sales. The private New York launch event, hosted by culture ambassador Adesope Olajide (known as Shopsydoo), brought together tastemakers from music, art, and design, the kind of ecosystem activation that tends to filter into on-premise programming and cocktail menu narratives over the months that follow.
The Martell VS Afrobeats Limited Edition is available now while supplies last. The XO Africa release rolls out across Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
