Pernod Ricard returns to Diwali for a second year with Glenlivet and Perrier-Jouet as the presenting sponsor for the All That Glitters Ball. The exclusive black-tie soirée was a joyous celebration of South Asia’s cultural heritage and recognized the cultural and social contributions of the South Asian community in the United States. Diwali, also known as The Festival of Lights, is a holiday of prosperity and happiness, marking a time of renewal, the victory of good over evil, and light over darkness.
The iconic celebration marks the ascension of South Asians in America and luxury brands supported this event to show their presence amongst the powerful South Asian demographic in the United States. The All That Glitters Ball brings together a room of some of the world’s most influential South Asians and luxury brands who see value in the South Asian customer base partnered with the event through eye-catching collaborations.
Host, Anjula Acharia, Founder and CEO of A-Series Management & Investments, brought together a star-studded selection of prominent global celebrities and executives in New York City at The Pierre, A Taj Hotel. Hosts included Huma Abedin, Simone Ashley, Avantika, Imran Amed, Bela Bajaria, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Anita Chatterjee, Bing Chen, Nora Fatehi, Tan France, Nina Garcia, Hannah Karp, Robert Kyncl (CEO, Warner Music Group), Hasan Minhaj (Comedian), Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Indra Nooyi, Rohan Oza, Falguni Peacock, Shane Peacock, Kal Penn, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Versha Sharma, Jay Shetty, and Jay Sean.
Additional premier sponsor Lexus supported the event alongside Gold House, Estee Lauder, and Captiv8. The glamorous evening, including a champagne reception by Perrier-Jouët, was planned by celebrity event planner who works on the annual gala Madiha Khan of Exquisite Events. Junglee and OLIPOP kindly provided additional beverages for the evening. Guests were welcomed to the event with a grandiose champagne reception featuring Perrier-Jouët, which was served from spectacle champagne towers. The signature serve of the evening was The Glenlivet specialty cocktail with coconut and cardamom and guests sipped a new expression, The Glenlivet Fusion Cask, in a VIP tasting lounge. The internationally acclaimed dance company AATMA Performing Arts, under the direction of Amit Shah, kicked off the unforgettable evening with a performance featuring superstar Nora Fatehi, one of the biggest pop stars to emerge from India. She performed her original song “Nora,” seamlessly transitioning into a dynamic montage of her beloved Bollywood hits, including “Dilbar,” “Garmi,” and “Saki.”
“Diwali has assumed its well-deserved and rightful place on the mainstream holiday calendar, so we are a very proud partner of the All That Glitters Diwali Ball for the second year. Our purpose as a company is about conviviality — powering moments of sharing and unlocking the magic of human connection. So our goal is to ensure our brands are part of these convivial celebrations, like Diwali. While brands across our full spirits portfolio were served at the bar, we decided to highlight two of our prestigious brands known for marking special moments including Perrier-Jouët Champagne and The Glenlivet Single Malt Scotch Whisky, as single malt is a staple during moments of conviviality like Diwali in the South Asian community,” Anu Rao, Senior Vice President Communications and Sustainability & Responsibility, Pernod Ricard USA. “The advent of celebration is core to our culture, and whisky has typically been a part of that. I recall my dad enjoying The Glenlivet with my uncles and it’s amazing that now I get to support and uplift our community with the brands we’ve been enjoying for so long.”
South Asian consumers represent a key strategic multicultural target for The Glenlivet as the brand continues to premiumize while staying true to its 200-year heritage of celebrating originality and progress. The South Asian community plays a key role in this as Indian Americans represent the second largest AAPI community in the US, have a higher household income than the median total US HHI, are a deeply convivial community and India as a country has the highest consumption of whiskey in the world (followed by the US). Lexus, another brand that has strong ties to the South Asian consumers, was also present at the Ball showcasing the Lexus GX 550 Overtrail+ in Eminent White Pearl on display outside of the hotel entrance. The vehicle was beautifully decorated to fit the “All That Glitters” Diwali Ball theme and offered a photo opportunity with a photographer before attendees entered the hotel. Attendees were able to climb inside the vehicle and interact with it while a Lexus Product Specialist stood on the side to answer any questions. Inside the ballroom, Lexus had another photo opportunity for attendees with a photobooth in front of a “Lexus Wall”. More recently, Lexus has seen the strongest YOY increases among Asian Indians (+39% YOY vs. Total Market at +25% YOY) and a lot of this is due to the success of new models like the TX.
Diwali has gone mainstream in the US over the last couple of years with pop culture, celebrities and corporations making an effort to celebrate. In 2022 Pennsylvania made Diwali an official state holiday. With over 5.4 million South Asins living int he US, it’s no surprise brands like Glenlivet, Lexus and Estee Lauder making it a priority to incorporate into festivities such as Diwali.