CASE Study: Dunhill / Luxury & brand positioning

Redefining indulgence through discernment

scenarioDNA used Culture Mapping to help Dunhill understand changing expressions of indulgence across international markets. The work defined a modern Bon Vivant archetype, connecting the brand's heritage with knowledge, confidence, and informed enjoyment.

The question: How does indulgence express confidence?

Dunhill needed to redefine indulgence for a global audience as luxury shifted from displays of status toward expressions of discernment. The challenge was to understand how the brand could build on its heritage while responding to a changing idea of what it meant to enjoy life well.

The research: Mapping knowledge and enjoyment

Our Culture Mapping covered London, the GCC, Malaysia, Indonesia, Russia, South Africa, and Brazil. It examined how knowledge and confidence were reshaping indulgence. These cultural differences and connections informed the modern Bon Vivant: an archetype of enjoyment expressed through knowing, choosing, and experiencing well.

The application: A contemporary expression of heritage

We translated the findings into a positioning framework organized around knowledge, discernment, and experience. The framework gave Dunhill a way to connect its heritage with contemporary luxury, using informed enjoyment as the cultural link between the brand's past and its future expression.

Explore our approach: Culture Mapping · Cultural Research & Intelligence