This article was initially published in the October issue of Global Drinks Intel magazine. For details on how to subscribe, click here.
Over the last couple of years, beverage alcohol brand owners have been reassessing everything from changed consumer behaviours to marketing spends, while operators are on the hunt for more novelty than ever. One area that has blossomed is high-profile promotion activity, along with pop-ups and large-scale animations.
Consequently, multi-brand drinks groups have been putting more investment behind campaigns that capture the imaginations of passing passengers as they seek to defend and/or grow market share.
Here, we look at four of the more novel showcases in GTR in recent months – with whiskies very much leading the way.
Replica McLaren F1 car turns heads
Sometimes, simplicity is the key to getting noticed. Putting a racing car in any public space is guaranteed to pull in the punters and this is what Brown-Forman achieved at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport in August.
Jack Daniel’s and McLaren F1’s pop-up in Lounge 2 was a one-of-a-kind, showcasing a replica car for a month and offering a themed, limited edition bottle of the flagship American whiskey. The latter, complete with a tastings space, remained in place for two months. The special product activation and tasting table encouraged whiskey – and F1 – fans to explore and savour the bottle. And, for those looking to take home a piece of the collaboration, purchasing two bottles entitled them to a free “valuable” gift.
The pop-up was developed in partnership with Gebr Heinemann. The operator’s marketing director, Jens Peter Peuckert, says the “visually stunning display” allowed it to “target seasoned whiskey enthusiasts”, while introducing Jack Daniel’s to newcomers. “We always strive to give travellers an unforgettable experience – and this certainly counts as one,” he says.
Brown-Forman’s GTR marketing director, Stéphane Morizet, adds that the pop-up was “a rare opportunity to get up-close and personal with a McLaren show car”. To maximise engagement, an out-of-home media campaign also ran across the airport’s digital screens and lightboxes.
Biggest collection of malts in an Indian airport
The accolade for the most extensive collection of malts in an Indian airport goes to Mumbai Duty Free, which has two sizable spaces at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport housing 250 single malts to indulge the ever-increasing Indian appetite for whiskey/whisky.
The operator hopes the scale of the offer, which opened back in May, will become a talking point and encourage more traffic to its store at the busy travel hub. An impressive array of renowned brands and some rare finds are available. The line-up includes Aberlour 31-year-old 1988, the Bowmore 1965 40-year-old, Cragganmore’s 30-year-old, a Glengoyne 25-year-old, Glen Grant 30-year-old 1993, the rare Miltonduff 13-year-old 2006, The Macallan M series and The Macallan Pre Octave 1991.
There are also bottles that are not available domestically or at other GTR outlets in the Indian subcontinent.
Mumbai Duty Free VP of marketing & strategic partnerships Amit Butani says the retailer takes great pride in being the only duty-free store in India to offer such an extensive selection. “This accomplishment speaks volumes about our commitment to providing an exceptional shopping experience for whisky enthusiasts,” he says.
Would you let AI select your perfect dram?
More whiskies are battling for scarce shelf space in global travel retail. The extra choice is not always helpful to consumers, so having a gadget to aid the decision-making process – with a certain level of insider knowledge about the consumer – could be a winner.
Diageo’s ‘What’s Your Whisky?’ digital tool does exactly that. The company’s GTR division claims it is “the first digital experience that helps consumers quickly and easily discover their perfect whisky”.
Central to its effectiveness is an interactive questionnaire powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and supported by a wealth of shopper, consumer and distiller insights. The more profiles the platform assesses and logs, the better it should get.
Diageo says the tool uses consumer-friendly questions and visual cues to assesses the user’s enjoyment of a range of sweet, fruity, spicy and smoky flavours commonly found in whiskies. The data is then sifted to come up with a consumer’s personal ‘flavour print’, complete with a suggestion of three products.
Flavour Print AI has already been deployed “to great success” at the Johnnie Walker Princes Street experience in Edinburgh, according to Diageo, so the logical next step was GTR, another tourist-centred arena. Designed for both enthusiasts and novices, the ‘What’s Your Whisky?’ selector could be found in Lisbon, Faro, London City and Paris Orly airports last summer. Consumers can also take the test at whatsyourwhisky.com.
Diageo GTR head of category development marketing Vicky Mundy says the experience allows consumers to explore the company’s range of whiskies in a “personalised and completely new way”.
DJ sets and a clubbing vibe launch Don Julio 1942 in Europe’s GTR
Tequila is having quite the moment in GTR and is fast becoming a battleground. The first major promotion in the channel for Maestro Dobel from Proximo Spirits – tied to the PGA Tour season – ran through the summer at New York’s JFK Airport. Diageo went a step further with its launch for Tequila Don Julio 1942 into European travel retail. The main location was at London Heathrow’s T5 at the beginning of August, but has since expanded to airports across Europe and the Americas.
The novelty at Heathrow was having DJ & music producer Kayper take to the decks at the pop-up, with a live performance of her ultimate summer playlist. Created by Kayper just for the campaign, the ‘Tequila Don Julio 1942 Iconic Sounds of Summer’ playlist is downloadable on Spotify.
The idea is to target the clubbing crowd – well-off travellers heading to Europe’s biggest party and beach destinations such as Barcelona, Ibiza, Mykonos and Novalja in Croatia. They need to have an eye for luxury, because Tequila Don Julio 1942 (ABV 38%) has an RRP of GBP178 (US$227) per 70cl bottle. Travellers could access the playlist via a QR code at the pop-up to enjoy while they wait in the lounge, on their flight, or during their vacation.
“It’s an incredibly exciting time for this category.,” says Diageo global travel MD Andrew Cowan. “Our experience in T5 will give travellers a glimpse of what this brand has to offer. It is a truly exceptional liquid created by Don Julio González in 2002 in the heart of Jalisco, Mexico to mark 60 years of generational tequila-making.”
To round out the launch, Tequila Don Julio partnered with travel & lifestyle influencer Ashlee Major Moss to create an online summer guide of DJ sets, must-visit restaurant recommendations and the most Instagrammable locations in Ibiza.
The activation prompted Heathrow Airport to confirm it is looking for more of these kinds of “unique experiences”.
