KitKat’s new campaign breaks at airports

Nestlé has launched its 2016 global KitKat campaign in travel retail, celebrating the diversity of people who take a break around the world. Dubbed “However you break, share it”, the activation is built on the global Celebrate the Breakers campaign and is currently live in selected airports. It will be rolled out throughout the year to over 50 locations worldwide, including Rio de Janeiro, Paris, Doha and Singapore.

Passengers at Qatar's Hamad International Airport share their KitKat break 

Sharing the experience with family and friends

Dedicated red brand spaces have been set up with four themed break benches: a Social Sharing Break bench is equipped with a whiteboard for personalised messages; a soft Relaxing Break bench features a footrest; a Music Break bench has piano key seats; and a Sports Break bench comes complete with football and net. Travellers are encouraged to capture their airport break with a KitKat selfie stick, available upon purchase, and share their experience with family and friends on social media using the #mybreak hashtag.

Speaking ahead of the global launch, Stewart Dryburgh, Nestlé International Travel Retail General Manager, said: "KitKat is a brand that creates natural, engaging and immersive brand activations that benefit everyone. Shoppers receive a unique experience, retailers gain increased footfall and conversion rates, and KitKat strengthens its fan base by being part of positive, break-related experiences. That’s why we constantly strive to keep our concepts innovative with shopper engagement at the heart.”

Ballantine’s Hard Fired aims to set the world alight

Pernod Ricard has launched Ballantine’s Hard Fired, a characterful and smooth whisky created by fire. Retailing at €24, the new blend uses a production process known as hard firing, which unlocks vanilla flavours and hints of smoke and spice, giving the whisky its distinctive taste.

Heinemann Duty Free is set to release Ballantine’s Hard Fired exclusively in European travel retail and will celebrate the launch with tasting bars, where travellers will be able to enjoy Ballantine’s Hard Fired cocktails, including the signature serve on ice and Hard Fired Apple, a long drink with apple juice and aromatic bitters. The airport promotion will tell the story of how Ballantine’s Hard Fired is created. 

Ballantine’s Master Blender Sandy Hyslop explained: "Ballantine’s Hard Fired showcases the natural and unique results that American oak and fire produce on Scotch whisky. When charred, casks form a natural layer of caramelised wood sugars that react with whisky and a double char understandably intensifies this effect. The result is a smooth, creamy and subtly smoky Scotch whisky with tasting notes of sweet honey, soft red apples and tangy liquorice. This balanced flavour profile results in a premium whisky that sits well within the Ballantine’s family style, while offering something new.”

Adriana Perez, Brand Manager at Pernod Ricard Travel Retail EMEA, added: “Ballantine’s Hard Fired is a natural progression for the brand as it continues to innovate within the Scotch whisky category. We are very pleased to be working with Heinemann Duty Free to launch in Europe travel retail. The tasting bars are an important tool to showcase the product, where travellers can enjoy signature cocktails and learn more about its rich craft story."

Ballantine's enters the booming flavour category

In other news from Europe’s number one Scotch whisky, travellers are enjoying the summer with Ballantine’s Brasil, a new lime-infused spirit drink.

Passengers at Paris Orly and Charles de Gaulle airports in July and August have been treated to complimentary cocktails and an innovative interactive display bringing the story of Ballantine’s Brasil to life.

Ballantine's Brasil at Paris Airport

Ballantine’s Brasil is a spirit drink made from Scotch whisky and cask steeped with Brazilian lime peel. Signature cocktails include the Highland Samba, a refreshing long drink combining Ballantine’s Brasil with lemonade.

Cristina Carmueja, Pernod Travel Retail EMEA Marketing Controller, commented, “This latest launch from Ballantine’s has enabled us to offer consumers a great tasting product in the booming flavour category which has proved successful. This success in travel retail has been driven by a dynamic approach to ensuring high visibility and getting product into the hands of consumers with tastings.”

Ballantine’s Brasil is available at €19.40 in duty free. During the promotion it was part of a mix-and-match offer with Ballantine’s Finest for consumers to buy one and get the second half price.

Dubai Duty Free hosts first Grey Goose Brasserie Bleue campaign in travel retail

To capitalize on the peak summer travel period in Dubai, Bacardi launched a month-long experiential campaign featuring Grey Goose, the world’s leading super-premium vodka.

Running throughout July in the Terminal 3 Arrivals store, Grey Goose was presented for the first time in travel retail through its new global experience, Grey Goose Brasserie Bleue.

A retro bicycle showcases the new Grey Goose Brasserie Bleue experience

Bringing a "creative halo" to Dubai Duty Free

Because no shopper sampling is permitted at the airport, the presentation was designed to focus on a strong visual appeal that played to the brand’s French heritage. A retro-style bicycle sported a front wicker basket full of Grey Goose original vodka in one litre and 37.5cl bottle sizes.

The backdrop represented a contemporary brasserie-style bar decorated with white tiles and blue paintwork, complete with a chrome goose in flight. Shoppers could shop from a self-serve gondola offering the entire Grey Goose range.

Philippa Coleman, Regional Manager – Gulf, Middle East and Africa at Bacardi Global Travel Retail, said the new Brasserie Bleue at Dubai had been inspired by a French café-style presentation that the company had held in late 2015, which drove “significant” conversion and trade-up with shoppers. She described the Brasserie Bleue initiative as “authentic lifestyle call to action”.

Saba Tahir, Vice President Purchasing of Dubai Duty Free added: “Grey Goose vodka is already a very popular brand with Dubai Duty Free shoppers and this activation brings a creative halo for us both to build on that success.”

Davidoff revamps cigar accessories collection

Swiss cigar specialist Davidoff has revamped its accessories with a cigar-inspired design developed in collaboration with Swiss architecture and design agency Atelier Oï.

In the new collection, Atelier Oï plays with materials, shapes and functions. Intrigued by Davidoff’s cigar crop-to-shop philosophy, craftsmanship and the asymmetry of the tobacco leaf, the design team created a new organic pattern and contemporary style.

Davidoff's new Ambassador humidor in lacquered Macassar finish

Humidors entirely handmade in France

“Anything that touches on the enjoyment of cigars is important to us at Davidoff,” said Charles Awad, Senior Vice President Global Marketing & Innovation at Oettinger Davidoff AG. ”Our cigars pass through as many as 300 pairs of expert hands in the painstaking process of crafting them.

“Once they are in the aficionado’s hand, their quality and the enjoyment of the cigar is our concern. That is why we believe that the quality of the design, elegance and technical know-how behind our accessories makes a difference. In this way, every moment of this all-important cigar ritual can be beautifully filled.”

The line includes a humidor in two different finishes: lacquered Macassar with a brilliant finish of 15 layers of lacquer for a deep, rich mirror effect; and Sycamore Maple with a bright, natural, silky veneer for a warm, contemporary interior.

With a capacity for between 70 and 90 cigars, the sleek, linear Ambassador comes with a dramatic, stylish cut that slices through to reveal a creamy, beige frame. The loft interior contains the removable tray with its beautiful leaf pattern, and dividers for arranging the cigars. The smaller Primos, which holds 25 to 35 cigars, comes with a slightly curved lid that conveys a notion of asymmetry, echoing the range’s leaf design.

Entirely handmade in France, both humidors are finished with the Davidoff signature on the outside and contain the Davidoff Slim Regulator, in a new-look, contemporary matte nickel finish. The interiors of the humidors have been crafted from okoumé, a wood from Gabon, on Africa’s west coast. Okoumé is odourless and tasteless, so that no flavour is transferred to the cigars, and it is hand-varnished to seal in the humidity and prevent it being absorbed by the wood.

Davidoff's lighters are crafted in France by ST Dupont

Lighter's cut edges inspired by tobacco leaves

Davidoff’s lighters are available in either a rose gold or palladium finish. Crafted in France by legendary manufacturer ST Dupont, the lighters are made from a single piece of brass (no plastic tank inside), which provides a larger gas tank to light up to 75 cigars and avoids gas leaks. The distinctive cut edges, like the overall design, are inspired by tobacco leaves and the lids of both lighters are embellished with the Davidoff logo.

The ashtrays are crafted in the tradition of the best French porcelain, and are made in Limoges by a company with the prestigious Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant label. The ashtrays have a large, draughtproof ash holder. Made in pure platinum, applied by hand, the pattern is inspired by tobacco leaves.

The French porcelain ashtrays are made in Limoges

The revamped accessory range will be available at selected Davidoff flagship stores and appointed merchants/depositaires in Europe starting in September 2016, and in the US and Asia in October 2016.

Under the #MYRITUAL social media hashtag, aficionados can share, experience and discover Davidoff’s news in the accessories arena and learn how to deepen the enjoyment and enhance the rituals associated with cigars.

Biggest John Dewar & Sons whisky emporium opens at Hong Kong railway station

The world’s largest permanent merchandising fixture for The John Dewar & Sons Fine Whisky Emporium has been installed at Hong Kong MTR LoWu railway station. This strategically significant location is home to train services between Hong Kong and mainland China, with over 100m cross-boundary travellers using the station every year.

Capitalising on direct and regular access to the upwardly mobile Chinese working population commuting between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, the three-metre wide Emporium installation in the Free Duty store operated by Chinese duty free retailer Sky Connection Limited and sister company Anway Limited seeks to bring to life the Scotch strategy of Dewar’s brand owner Bacardi.

The John Dewar & Sons Fine Whisky Emporium at Hong Kong MTR LoWu railway station

Commuters "amazed" to be buying Dewar's on the way home

Shoppers are guided by brand ambassadors to choose from the entire portfolio of Dewar’s aged blends and can buy the rare single malts that go into Dewar’s, which holds the longest royal warrant for blended whisky since the initial award from Queen Victoria in 1893. 

Simon Au, Merchandising & Buying Director of Anway Limited/Sky Connection, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for us to bring something very special to the high proportion of our shoppers who are whisky lovers and collectors. Whatever their preference, the John Dewar & Sons Fine Whisky Emporium offers something for experienced older connoisseurs and for younger collectors who may be new to discovering their own favourite. We’re delighted with the customer feedback – people are genuinely amazed to be able to purchase some of the world's most awarded whiskies on their commute home.”

Explaining the importance of the location for the new Emporium, Bacardi Global Travel Retail’s Regional Director Asia-Pacific Vinay Golikeri said: “We have looked in detail at Chinese drinking habits and believe there is a strong opportunity to drive incremental basket spend in Scotch. This opportunity will come from shoppers who were born during and since the economic reform. They are already actively engaging with the discovery opportunity and the brand intrinsics of the six single malts in our aged whisky portfolio.”

He continued: “There is a $40m incremental opportunity to unlock in global travel retail whisky. We are convinced the key to this prize is by leveraging the appeal of discovery brands such as ours with shoppers at the second stage of luxury. We are delighted that Sky Connection features our most recent launches of Royal Brackla Highland single malt whisky 12yo, 16yo and 21yo and Dewar’s 12yo, 15yo, 18yo and Dewar’s Ne Plus Ultra 30yo.”

Also taking centre stage in the whisky department of this busy store are the entire age ranges of Aberfeldy Highland single malt Scotch whisky, Aultmore of the Foggie Moss Speyside single malt, Craigellachie Speyside single malt and Glen Deveron, Royal Burgh Collection.