Johnnie Walker launches biggest global campaign

Johnnie Walker, the number one Scotch whisky in the world, has launched its largest ever global marketing campaign. Joy Will Take You Further will launch simultaneously in more than 50 countries and will reach nearly 270m consumers around the world within the first weeks of launch. Joy Will Take You Further is an evolution of the brand’s Keep Walking campaign and represents a new perspective on personal progress. It brings to life the concept that joy can be a catalyst to the progress people seek, and aims to promote the idea that finding joy in the journey is part of the recipe for success.

Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button stars in Johnnie Walker's new brand campaign

Encouraging shoppers to find joy in their journey

The campaign features stars from the worlds of sport and entertainment such as Formula 1 World Champion and McLaren Honda driver Jenson Button, Oscar-nominated actor Jude Law, Chinese actor Zhao Wei, US rock band OK Go and Mexican supermodel Montserrat Oliver alongside a cast of extraordinary achievers who share the brand’s view of how happiness in life is a fuel for success.

In travel retail the campaign will be brought to life through a number of airport activations. This will include offering travellers exclusive insights into the joy of blending as well as encouraging our shoppers to find joy in their journey.

Syl Saller, chief marketing officer of brand owner Diageo, said: “The launch of Keep Walking marked a fundamental shift in the way Scotch was marketed and kick-started a decade of transformational growth for both Johnnie Walker and the category as a whole.

“I am hugely excited about the potential of this new campaign to drive Johnnie Walker forward to the next decade of growth. It is rooted in deep consumer insight and tells true stories of people who have truly walked with joy. At Diageo, we believe in building brands with purpose - meaning that goes beyond product benefits - and this is a great example of an incredibly strong idea that is brought to life with outstanding creative.”

Significant investment in customer experiences

Peter Fairbrother, global marketing director of Diageo Global Travel and Middle East, added that the new campaign challenged the conventional wisdom that success guarantees you happiness and instead celebrates the fact that happiness actually helps people achieve success. He said: “Johnnie Walker has always stood for progress - it’s been the story of our whisky since our founder John Walker started it all nearly 200 years ago, right through to today as the best-selling spirits brand in travel retail. What two centuries of experience have taught us is that progress doesn’t have to be an endless uphill journey. We can enjoy the steps we take and the more happiness we find in them the more likely we are to achieve our goal. Evidence is confirming a conviction that sits at the heart of our brand: Joy Will Take You Further.”

Developed in partnership with the brand’s global creative agency, Anomaly, Joy Will Take You Further brings to life the art of blending and the blenders who create the world’s most iconic Scotch whisky through a significant investment in mentoring and customer experiences, in addition to a new television commercial, print and digital advertising, point of sale materials and engaging digital content.

The new Joy Will Take You Further television commercial from Johnnie Walker can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9R9YtaoYAE

Malibu brings a tropical touch to cross-Channel ferry

Malibu has held a light-hearted promotion driven by social media onboard P&O’s Pride of Canterbury ferry, as the ship set sail from Dover to Calais in September 2015. The activation aimed to bring the brand’s vibrant personality to the newly refurbished onboard store, offering passengers the chance to sample Malibu Original Rum, and presenting travel-friendly flat-pack speakers as a gift with purchase.

Malibu promotion onboard P&O's Pride of Canterbury ferry

Harnessing the power of social media

Whilst in-store, the first 150 passengers that captured their #bestsummerever moments with Malibu on Instagram and Twitter received Caribbean-inspired garlands, by tagging #sippingscocktails @Malibu_Rum and @POferries.

Charlotte Barton, Buyer at P&O Ferries, said: “We are really excited to be teaming up with Malibu for our first Malibu Pop Up Shop onboard our vessel the Pride of Canterbury. It is great to work with a brand which has great ideas in how to utilise the power of social media during an activation, and we cannot wait to see our customers photos on Instagram and Twitter from the Malibu Pop Up Shop.”

Furla sees Lights of Colour for spring

Furla’s Spring/Summer 2016 Lights of Colour collection recounts a journey through Italy in search of light and its endless shades. The new-season bags create graphic compositions in bold colour blockings for day-into-night versatility. Colours such as shell, onyx, acid green, turquoise, sienna brown and deep red combine to playful, artsy effects with an op-art twist, appearing on deconstructed shapes with a distinct gender-bender appeal.

The latter was pivotal in developing the collection’s practical inventiveness and two-in-one character for which detachable mini bags on roomy totes and clutches serve as both an extra pocket or as a standalone evening style. Both the Dama tote and the Fantasia maxi clutch come with a detachable Metropolis bag on the outer flap, while the Artesia bag is characterised by a removable inner panel with slots for wallets, smartphone, coins and other everyday essentials.

Furla Zafiro work bag for Spring/Summer 2016

New bag exclusive to travel retail

Similarly, a micro Metropolis bag tempers the tautness of the bi-colour Zafiro work bag, a revisited men’s style, while timeless shoppers feature multi-functional double-layered pockets. All are crafted from full-grain calfskin, at times featuring a hammered deer skin effect or printed. Furla’s signature Metropolis universe incorporates a larger bi-colour version featuring a geometric 3D-printed strap and with details such as hand-woven flaps and hand-knotted piping for the small size.

Brand new and exclusive to travel retail is the Yoyo bag, a mini crossbody with a zip top and chain strap available in three colours. A combination of Ares and Pop Star leather make the Yoyo bag a trendy lightweight bag.

Travel retail exclusive Furla Yoyo bags

Said Furla global travel retail director Gerry Munday: “I’m delighted that the Spring/Summer 16 offer will include another travel retail exclusive offer. The Piper medium dome has been incredibly well-received by our customers and the sell-through is superb. The Yoyo bag is equally perfect for travel retail and complements another amazing collection from Furla.”

Meanwhile, the footwear collection spans formal-informal styles, along with ultra-coloured models and shoes enriched with precious artisanal details.

Furla’s Spring/Summer 2016 presentation was held at the Salone Dei Tessuti in Milan on September 24 in a minimalist tunnel-like setting evocative of art installations where coloured panels, smoky mirrors and display columns enhance the 10 key shapes, colours, textures and details. 

Lanson unwraps travel exclusive pack

Champagne Lanson has launched a travel-themed gift box which revisits the iconic symbols that have made the brand what it is today. Available during September at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport with French travel retailer Aelia, the exclusive travel retail gift box is described as a wonderful representation of the history of the brand. 

Champagne Lanson's travel retail gift pack

Decorated with travel symbols and seals, chosen to highlight the brand’s historic past, the gift box is offered with Champagne Lanson’s Black Label Brut Non-Vintage. With its matte black appearance, black lacquer and gold finish, this new travel retail exclusive is designed to create an elegant and eye-catching look. The iconic symbols have been redesigned to incorporate the Lanson Cross, while some of Lanson’s old seals have been transformed into stamps, making the gift box unique. The French origin of the Lanson house has also been subtly represented through the use of delicate French flag designs.

Olivier De La Giraudière, export director of Lanson Champagne, said: “This original gift pack exclusive to travel retail is another indication of Champagne Lanson’s commitment to the channel. We pride ourselves on giving our travel retail customers unique and outstanding products that cannot be bought in the domestic market. By incorporating elements of Champagne Lanson’s history onto the gift pack, along with travel related symbols, we have created a very relevant item for the category; one that we hope that travellers will want to enjoy with their friends and family. By featuring our most successful and original Champagne, Black Label, with its redesigned label, we are positive this new gift pack will fly off the shelves.” 

MCM debuts eyewear with celebrities in Beijing

MCM has unveiled its first full range of sunglasses and eyewear for Autumn/Winter 2015, produced by its licensee, Marchon. The collection is described as a daring, futuristic and iconic series with novel designs. Crafted in Italy, the collection is inspired by the unique textures and graphic patterns of MCM’s accessories, ranging from pop aesthetics, punk facades to pure elegance, spanning a range of classic motifs and contemporary silhouettes.

MCM's sunglasses collection for Autumn/Winter 2015

Exclusive launch event for the Beijing glitterati

The new eyewear collection premiered at Beijing’s Park Life shopping centre at an exclusive party. MCM rolled out its signature Cognac-coloured carpet at the event, which was hosted by singer and actor Jing Boran and graced by Beijing’s top trendsetters, tastemakers and glamorous glitterati.

Winner of China’s 2007 My Hero contest, Jing Boran is a renowned actor and vocalist, best known for his role in the 3D animated fantasy adventure film, Monster Hunt. The part-Russian, part-Chinese performer is also co-founder of the Chinese boy band BOBO with My Hero finalist, Fu Xinbo. For the exclusive event, Boran mixed MCM’s signature biker jacket with the latest accessories of the season.

Chinese actor Jing Boran wearing an MCM biker jacket

Meanwhile, MCM invited one of Beijing’s house-and-techno elite, DJ Gin, to spin the decks in style. The party also featured a theatrical live model display, showcasing the latest ready-to-wear, accessories and sunglasses collections. 

 

MCM sunglasses with the new Berlin box bag

Paul & Shark takes care of travellers

Luxury sportswear brand Paul & Shark, which recently supported the vintage sailing event Monaco Classic Week, wants men to “travel easy” with its new Spring/Summer 2016 collection. The new Travel Easy Care collection from the Smart Casual line draws on its traditional Made in Italy craftsmanship and fabric innovation, combining a casual, elegant look with fabric that makes it stand up to the pressures of packing and long journeys.

A look from Paul & Shark's Smart Casual line

Crease-free fabrics from dawn till dusk

The range includes coats, gilets, shirts and trousers, created using a special treatment that softens the fabric and makes it easier to care for. More importantly, the garments are crease-free from dawn till dusk.

Travel retail director Catherine Bonelli enthused: “As our travel retail distribution continues to grow globally, it is vital that each new collection continues to wow and shows off the quality and uniqueness of Paul & Shark. This year we have definitely achieved this and I am confident that the Travel Easy Care line will stand out as a must-have essential item.”

Alongside the Smart Casual line, Paul & Shark will be featuring its core Sportswear line. With a broad colour palette ranging from classic whites and blues, to bolder limes and fuchsias, the brand’s heritage is transformed into a range of stylish, modern garments. Key pieces include a rubber-coated linen double-breasted jacket, a classic Vichy print windbreaker, and a polyester and nylon 3D mesh jacket.

The Luxury Collection is described by the brand as a lavish range featuring high-quality materials, such as cashmere and silk, combined with expert craftsmanship. Designed for the most demanding of travellers, this collection embraces clean and sophisticated lines along with more traditional colours of blue and dark brown. Jackets are the stars of this line, with leather and cotton or cashmere and silk offerings that include technical details such as laser perforations. All knitwear is 100% silk, while the shirts are made from piqué cotton and the trousers from supima, the world's finest cotton. 

During the TFWA World Exhibition in October, personalisation will feature on the Paul & Shark stand with its embroidery offering. Showing its ability to customise, an intricate tooling machine will allow Paul & Shark to embroider a name or message of choice on the items offered.

Said Bonelli:  “Our tooling machines take up so little space that they are easily incorporated into our stores, giving us a real uniqueness. It’s a tool that can easily be incorporated into airport retail and we are about to announce an activation with a key operator this summer.”

An eternal launch from Royal Salute

Pernod Ricard-owned whisky brand Royal Salute has introduced Royal Salute The Eternal Reserve, which uses an innovative blending technique to create a whisky that will “live forever”. For this inventive take on legacy, Royal Salute selected rare and precious whiskies with an exceptionally long finish. They are then blended together and married in 88 casks to form the inaugural batch. Using a unique process called Circular Blending, the company has committed to use this original blend in every subsequent batch for decades to come.

Royal Salute The Eternal Reserve whisky

Distinctive porcelain flagon

Each time a new batch is released, half of the blend is re-casked in the Royal Salute Vault in Strathisla Distillery so that – even in 200 years – you could still find a little of the liquid born in 2015. The original blend is therefore forever preserved by this perpetual recirculation.

Retailing from $180 per 70cl, the whisky is presented in a distinctive, aubergine-coloured porcelain flagon, created to combine age-old techniques with a contemporary signature icon, which reflects the Circular Blending process.

The first batch of 88 casks will be available from September 2015 and sold exclusively in global travel retail, supported by an innovative experiential, digital promotional and merchandising campaign bringing Royal Salute The Eternal Reserve story to life.

Royal Salute global brand director Vadim Grigorian said: “Time is at the heart of Royal Salute. Our youngest blend is 21 years old but we were born alongside a thoroughly modern monarch, so we constantly blend tradition with the contemporary. The Eternal Reserve is inspired by artists, writers and philosophers – all dedicated to understanding the possibility of continuity in the modern world. This superb whisky is our suggestion that eternity doesn’t mean living forever. It means timelessness – and it belongs to those who live in the present.” 

Christopher Ward launches a cosmic beauty

British watchmaker Christopher Ward has introduced its first-ever moonphase watch, marking a further radical advance in the brand’s strategy of creating quality timepieces at affordable prices. The C9 Moonphase (40mm) incorporates the ingenious new JJ04 complication from the brand’s master watchmaker, Johannes Jahnke. The new model will be exclusively launched at this year’s prestigious Salon QP event in London in November.

Christopher Ward C9 Moonphase watch

Expressive dial with mesmerising effect

In developing Calibre JJ04, Jahnke modified the base ETA 2836-2 by creating two gear systems incorporating four wheels to drive the moon disc, and a further two wheels for the setting mechanism. The result is a smooth and continuous movement of the moon disc, in synch with the minutes and hours, creating an advance on the common use of a disc that jumps once a day (which often renders the moon window inaccurate for several hours each day, according to the company). Once set, the representation of the moon’s phase at any particular moment is unerringly precise and the new gearing ensures that the moon disc is also accurate to within one day every 128 years of the base movement’s accuracy.

  

The C9 Moonphase is presented in two colour options: white and gold or midnight blue and silver. Housed in the hand-finished 40mm case and beneath a domed sapphire crystal is perhaps the brand’s finest and most expressive dial to date, displayed through a wide, curved aperture a generously-cut moon disc, conveying clearly the increments of the moon’s passage through the skies.

The surface of the large moon disc is 3D-stamped and carries a semi-matt galvanic finish, creating a mesmerising effect for the viewer. A bespoke guilloche pattern appears on the lower half of the centre dial, inspired by the tidal patterns of the moon’s gravitational pull. Combined with the polished hands and indexes, the overall design seeks to bring the oceans and the moon together harmoniously.

Mike France, co-founder of the brand, explains the commitment behind the new model: “We enjoy a unique quality of relationship with fans of the brand across the world, particularly in the CW Forum, and a moonphase model has been probably their most vociferous and consistent call. Of course, we could have responded by rushing out a moonphase model but we have taken the time – over three years – to ensure that we got it absolutely right. To paraphrase JFK, we chose to make a moonphase in this way not because it was easy but because it was hard, and Johannes Jahnke rose magnificently to that challenge to create an extraordinary new movement.”

The new model is available for delivery in mid-November, with the leather strap version retailing from £1,295 (alligator strap upgrade £1,357.50) and the stainless steel bracelet model at £1,395, exclusively at www.christopherward.co.uk.

Royal Brackla makes regal entrance in travel retail

Bacardi has unveiled the world-first launch of a new range of premium bottlings from Royal Brackla distillery, one of Scotland’s oldest distilleries and imbued with a unique royal heritage, in partnership with DFS at Singapore Changi airport. The single malt portfolio consists of three age statements, each bottled at 40%abv: Royal Brackla 12, 16 and 21yo.

Royal Brackla 12yo single malt whisky

Engaging and authentic brand story

Royal Brackla whisky has the longest held royal warrant. Standing on the Cawdor Estate, Royal Brackla distillery was established in 1812 by Captain William Fraser, who returned to the family farm after military service and took advantage of the fine barley it grew. His distillery’s reputation received its crowning moment when King William IV bestowed a royal warrant in 1835, which led to its nickname: The King’s Own Whisky.

Mike Birch, managing director of Bacardi Global Travel Retail, explained: “This launch of Royal Brackla epitomises our commitment to leverage the full strength of the remarkable John Dewar & Sons Whisky portfolio, as the catalyst to power whisky category growth.” He added that consumers were seeking to discover exceptional quality whisky from revered distilleries that carry age statements with engaging and authentic brand stories.

“Working in close partnership with DFS, we look forward to an intensive in-store programme that will drive advocacy and engagement in a memorable shopper experience and deliver growth for the category,” he said.

Following the world-first travel retail launch at Changi, each of the new expressions will initially be launched with DFS in its other key airport locations.

Royal Brackla’s slow distillation produces a refined spirit, before it is matured in the finest first-fill oloroso sherry casks. This rich, robust whisky offers muscovado sweetness, dates and walnuts within its sherried depths.

Visit www.RoyalBrackla.com.

MCM unleashes giant video in New York

To celebrate its collaboration with Beats headphones, German luxury brand MCM has released video footage on the world’s largest digital billboard screen in New York City’s Times Square. The Beats x MCM video is being played around the clock from August 13 for three months. The Apple Jumbotron at Times Square is the world’s largest digital billboard screen with nearly 1.5 million impressions per day. Measuring 330ft by 78ft, the Jumbotron is eight storeys high and spans the entire block from West 45th Street to West 46th Street on Broadway.

MCM's collaboration with Beats headphones is celebrated on a video screen in Times Square, New York

Growing global brand awareness

Shot in Paris, the video combines Beats x MCM products with beautiful scenes of the luxury fashion capital. Top model Chanel Iman wears an MCM leather jacket and features the brand’s signature Cognac visetos products and sunglasses. 

“We are confident that this astonishing exposure will serve as an enormous catalyst in enlarging MCM’s brand awareness and equity in the US as well as globally,” MCM said.

Grey Goose cooks up a gastronomic airport launch

Shoppers at Paris Charles de Gaulle, Orly and Nice airports have been the first in the world to discover the new 'Vodka Gastronomique' from Grey Goose, following the launch in July 2015 of Grey Goose Interpreted by Ducasse as a European exclusive with French travel retailer Aelia.

The Bacardi-owned brand’s customer engagement campaign, in partnership with Aelia, reflected the ultra-premium quality of the toasted wheat vodka liquid. In-store fixtures including glass jars of toasted wheat grains provide an eye-catching backdrop for brand ambassadors to introduce shoppers to the product via sample serves.

Grey Goose Interpreted by Ducasse is promoted at Aelia's Buy Paris Duty Free shop 

Co-creator attends airport launch event

With plenty of attention-creating theatre in its preparation, the lead signature serve proved particularly popular. Dans Le Noir combines Grey Goose Interpreted by Ducasse with a few drops of freshly brewed coffee using a unique method that allows the aromatics of the coffee to be efficiently extracted without the harsh tannin present. The roasted coffee and toasted wheat in the vodka complement each other, creating a rich, dark, complex flavour.

Grey Goose Maître de Chai François Thibault attended the initial in-store launch at Paris Charles de Gaulle where he met shoppers and hand-signed the individual wooden gift boxes that house the beautifully designed bottle. Hearing the brand vision brought to life in person from the Maître himself was a special experience for shoppers. They were treated to details of the pioneering collaborative process of Grey Goose Interpreted by Ducasse, born from the passion shared by François Thibault and Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse for extraordinary taste experiences from the finest French ingredients.

It was a fascination with flavour and how it can be subtly controlled through different toasting techniques that led them to craft the distinctive assemblage of three different hand batch roasts of French winter wheat. The resulting vodka goes well with after-dinner coffee.

In-store fixtures draw attention to the exclusive European travel retail launch

Aude Rocourt, regional director Europe at Bacardi Global Travel Retail, said: “This latest innovation from Grey Goose is genuinely exciting, opening up a new vodka category as a post-dinner drinking occasion – a launchpad for the rest of the night. It’s fantastic to bring this unique discovery to shoppers in travel retail first, with our brand ambassadors introducing them to new ways to enjoy vodka from the world’s leading super-premium category leader.”

Sabine Fagan, executive vice president purchasing at Aelia, added: “We’re delighted to have the first stock of Grey Goose Interpreted by Ducasse in our stores, especially at the prestigious locations in Paris (Buy Paris Duty Free) where our discerning shoppers expect the very best in class. Innovation of this nature is key to unlocking conversion potential in travel retail and it’s clear to us that offering this level of sophistication with the lead brand is just what our customers want.”

British engineering icons inspire Christopher Ward

Christopher Ward has extended its Aviation watch collections with the launch of a series of new automatic and quartz models inspired by the best of British engineering. The new C8 Flyer echoes design elements from two iconic examples of British 20th century technical innovation and ingenuity – the Supermarine Spitfire and the Farnborough Wind Tunnels.

Firstly, the cockpit of the Spitfire incorporated the Smith’s Mk. II A clock, which now provides the inspiration for the simple but evocative dial language of the C8 Flyer. From the Spitfire to Concorde (and Malcolm Campbell’s Bluebird hydroplane), the Farnborough Wind Tunnels played a pivotal role in British aviation development. These structures, incorporating magnificent, huge mahogany blades (600kg each) and monolithic perforated steel surrounds, have been interpreted on the back-plates of the C8 Flyer using the signature Christopher Ward three-dimensional deep-etched stamping process on the automatic models and a laser-etched engraving on the quartz range.

Christopher Ward C8 Flyer Automatic Vintage Black Edition

Blending British engineering heritage stories with modern technology

Presented in two stylish colour editions, Vintage Black and Steel, the heritage-inspired design has a choice of automatic or quartz movements, with options in dial sizes (38mm and 44mm) and straps. 

The C8 Flyer Automatic Vintage Black Edition & Steel Edition (44mm and 38mm) contains one of watchmaking’s most reliable automatic movements (Sellita SW200/1 or the Eta 2824-2) and is encased by a marine-grade black PVD stainless-steel case, which echoes the black case of the original Spitfire cockpit clock. As with the Vintage Black edition, the classic stainless steel case option, in marine-grade stainless-steel case, carries an oversized crown, designed to make adjustment easier for the aviators’ glove-bound hands.

Meanwhile, the C8 Flyer Quartz Vintage Black Edition & Steel Edition (44mm and 38mm) has a precise and reliable Ronda 715 quartz movement encased by a precision-engineered, marine-grade stainless steel case with an oversized crown and the same back-plate symbol created through a laser-etched engraving.

Mike France, co-founder of the brand and an enthusiastic advocate for British engineering, said: “The British aviation sector delivered some of the most stunning innovations of the past century and we wanted to respectfully celebrate that capacity for invention and engineering prowess through the design of our new C8 Flyer collection.

“The design of the C8 Flyer blends two iconic British engineering heritage stories with modern technology, complemented by our own spirit of expression, and includes size options of 38mm and 44mm that we believe will further open up the Aviation theme to a broader audience of watch lovers.”

Across the range the C8 Flyer look is completed with a vintage leather strap, incorporating a hand-sewn whipstitch or, for those intending to wear the C8 over a flying jacket, a leather NATO strap.

The best of British engineering has resonated in a number of the brand’s Aviation and Motoring models, including the recent launch of the C8 P7350 Chronometer, incorporating a piece of metal from the last surviving Spitfire (P7) to have flown in the Battle of Britain.

The C8 Flyer range is priced from £550 for the automatic model and from £299 for the quartz model. The watch can be pre-ordered at www.christopherward.co.uk