Happy Chinese New Year from Bacardi

Bacardi is running a major Chinese New Year campaign at 11 airport and border locations in six countries across the Asia Pacific region. The three-month campaign runs to March and targets shoppers with gifting opportunities across its whisky and Cognac portfolio.

Prominent Chinese New Year branded activations are now running at airport locations such as Shanghai and Beijing airports with Sunrise, at Sydney with Heinemann, at Brisbane and Perth airports with JR/Duty Free, at Kuala Lumpur with Eraman and Heinemann, at Seoul with Lotte and Shilla, with Flemingo in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau with Anway, and the Zhuhai land border crossing with Cheer Signal.

Bacardi celebrates Chinese New Year at Singapore Changi Airport

Top prizes to be won

Shoppers spending a certain amount on Dewar’s whiskies and single malts are invited to try their luck in an Instant Win Lucky Dip by selecting a lucky red envelope to reveal their prize. Prizes range from travel size bottles of spirits in the Bacardi portfolio, travel accessories and top prizes of an Apple Watch or Apple iPhone 7 Gold, depending on location.

The campaign focuses on the Dewar’s portfolio of blends and its single malts Craigellachie, Aberfeldy, Royal Brackla, Glen Deveron and Aultmore, and Baron Otard Cognac. In addition, Benedictine DOM is a key focus with DFS at Singapore Changi with an exclusive, limited-edition Good Luck gift tin. A range of sample tastings is available to add to the fun of the New Year period.

Bacardi's promotion at Kuala Lumpur International Airport

Building brand equity in the region

Vinay Golikeri, Regional Director Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa at Bacardi Global Travel Retail, said: “We want to make the Chinese New Year period our biggest yet with this shopper engagement campaign across key airports and border crossings in the region. We are focusing on encouraging Chinese travellers to try our brands, especially with our premium whisky portfolio. The extended New Year period is a prime opportunity to engage and connect our brands with the surge in people travelling and to help build brand equity in the region.”

Davidoff on a mission to delight with new cigar series

Davidoff has launched the 702 Series – a line of its most iconic cigars reimagined with a 702 Ecuadorian wrapper.

The more intense 702 Series will be available in Europe, Asia and duty free for a limited time only from February 2017.

“It is time to unexpect,” said Charles Awad, Senior Vice President Global Marketing and Innovation at Oettinger Davidoff AG. “Davidoff’s master blenders have taken on the challenge to reimagine and reinvent our most iconic cigars – No. 2, 2000, Special R, Aniversario No. 3, among others – and give them an exciting twist for those seeking a more intense, bolder taste experience. These cigars, that have defined and refined time, are wrapped in the new 702 Habano wrapper from Ecuador to give them a bolder edge. The 702 Series is an exciting opportunity for those who have not yet had the chance to discover, or may want to rediscover, these iconic cigars.”

Davidoff's new 702 Series features the 2000 cigar (picture: © Oettinger Davidoff AG)

An exceptional experience

The new 702 Series was given to an aficionado panel of 160 cigar enthusiasts. 70% of those who tasted it found the 702 Series experience exceptional. Even panel participants who do not normally enjoy Davidoff cigars stated that the 702 Series is excellent and similar to the medium-strong Cuban cigars that they typically enjoy.

The new 702 Habano wrapper from Ecuador gives a more intense and spicy taste and provides additional scents of wood, cream and milk coffee to the cigars. Thanks to its creamy and complex notes, the 702 Series cigars have an unexpected depth and edge.

While the filler and binder tobaccos remain untouched, the Connecticut wrapper from Ecuador has been changed to the 702 Habano wrapper. This wrapper is born from the hybrid of three Cuban Habano seeds. It is grown exclusively for Davidoff at the San Juan finca, which is nestled in the Andes foothills in Ecuador’s province of Cotopaxi. The ash from the legendary volcano makes the soil fertile. The rich soil and natural cloudiness of the region provide the perfect conditions to nurture the seeds for this gleaming wrapper leaf with its luxurious silky texture.

Available for a limited time

The 702 Series family comprises the Entreacto in Short Corona format (time to enjoy: 20 minutes); the No. 2 Panetela (25 minutes); the 2000 in Corona format (25 minutes); the Special R Robusto (45 minutes); the Aniversario No. 3 in Toro format (50 minutes); the Special T (only available in the US) in Torpedo format (50 minutes); and the Double R (only available in the US) in Double Corona format (90 minutes).

The cigars come in wooden boxes and packs (same counts as for the regular equivalent non-702 cigar) in the traditional white and gold Davidoff colours, but with a striking visual strip across the middle to indicate these are the limited 702 Series edition. They are already available in the US market and will be made available for wider release at selected appointed merchants in February 2017. Outside the US, the products will be launched worldwide at Davidoff depositaries and Davidoff flagship stores for a limited period in February 2017.