Brands will go a long way to generate a memorable bit of publicity, and in the case of French cognac company Rémy Martin, that means a long way forward in time. As part of a marketing campaign back in 2015 for its Louis XIII cognac, Rémy Martin hired Robert Rodriguez to direct a series of commercials and short films. John Malkovich was brought in to star and also serve as a creative lead on the project.
The focal point of the campaign is “100 Years,” a short film that, according to Rémy Martin, will not be made available until 2115 — 100 years after its production. It’s meant to mirror the amount of time it takes to produce a batch of Louis XIII cognac. Clever, right? That means that neither Malkovich, Rodriguez, nor most people alive today will be around to see it. The two big names make a decent amount of sense for such an idea, with Malkovich being known for his more experimental projects and Rodriguez being famous for his eclectic filmography.
The commercials “teasing” the film, on the other hand, are widely available to watch. They depict different possible versions of the future, from glowing neon cityscapes to cyberpunk dystopias and overgrown, abandoned urban landscapes. More discouraging than hopeful, it would seem, but hey, at least there will be cognac, right? Right…?
Malkovich’s 100 Years won’t be seen for a century
In addition to the high-profile involvement of Rodriguez and Malkovich, “100 Years” also features an international supporting cast that includes Chinese actor Shuya Chang, Filipino actor Gedeon Manlulu, and Chilean actor Marko Zaror.
“I was intrigued by the concept of working on a film that nobody would ever see,” Rodriguez said in a making-of featurette released on YouTube. “You know, in my lifetime [anyway].” The gimmick calls to mind that time the Wu-Tang Clan made an album with only one copy and then auctioned it off to convicted financial criminal Martin Shkreli. Of course, this is kind of the reverse — a project absent real artistic intent, commissioned for strictly commercial purposes, and being locked away on purpose, as opposed to a genuine work of art being co-opted by private wealth.
What, indeed, will the world look like when the children of tomorrow get to watch a mildewed booze commercial let out of the vault? Hopefully, it’ll be one where creative work is celebrated more and used less for cheap marketing gimmicks.
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