An unique and engaging brand walk
The Step Inside The Circuit campaign is running globally, in the most attractive cities and airports. Paul Downing, Diageo GTME Regional Director, comments “Schiphol appealed to us in particular because of its status and ambition and its cutting edge approach to retail, media and the overall consumer experience”.
Schiphol’s passengers are taken on a high octane journey
The campaign is a truly spectacular, multi-faceted activation leveraging the appeal of the number 1 liquor in travel retail and Johnnie Walker’s sponsorship of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team. The promotion shadows the traveller journey through the terminal, engaging all passengers at key touch-points, from the forecourt where they are greeted by Johnnie Walker on the advertising mast and a Johnnie Walker video at the giant Astrovision-screen of the two stars of the F1 team, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton. Inside the terminal hanging banners, digital screens on flight information clusters and check-in desks invite the travellers to visit the Duty Free store. The same messaging then continues through to the departure lounges, where brand ambassadors invite passengers to have their photo taken with driver cut-outs before entering the store. At this point they are also given a free branded lanyard that represents the application form in order to enter the competition. Passengers have the chance to win a pair of VIP gold passes to the Belgian Grand Prix and a variety of ‘instant win’ prizes.
The trinity partnership achieved this powerful activation in record time and includes some extra special ‘one offs’, like the branded travelator. This main travelator at Holland Boulevard has been converted into a ‘race track’ with grid position decals on the floor and green-red start lights and finish flag overhead – complete with F1 sound effects which are highly exceptional. We have even allowed a retail space to be fully controlled by the Johnnie Walker brand. Normally these are never sold as advertising objects.
Louise Jobson, GTME Europe Marketing Manager Diageo about the Johnnie Walker activation at Schiphol: “This progression is an indicator of how Trinity partnerships have been consistently consolidated with our key retail and airport partners. The scale, quality and excitement of this latest activation is a pioneering demonstration of just how memorable and leading-edge the travel retail experience can be”.
Results to date
Sales are ahead of forecast, up more than double year-on-year versus a promotional period in 2010.
In the period 1 May – 7 June, sales in the deluxe category surged by 142% compared to the period last year, with Johnnie Walker Black and Double Black ahead 165%. Within this volumes are shifting more towards Double Black, which it said showed the value of its travel retail exclusive status, as well as the strong price-off message (one litre is priced €25.95 against a regular price of €34.95).
Consumers from the Netherlands account for 59% of purchases during the promotional period to date, with strong contributions from South Koreans (8%), Chinese (7%), Russians (6%) and UK passengers (6%). In the case of Koreans, Chinese and Russians, these figures are double their normal proportions as a percentage of liquor spend at the airport.
Sales generated by the activation have also represented 23% of all whisky sales at Schiphol during the period to 7 June, with Double Black taking 68% of deluxe market share during the event.
This Johnnie Walker promotional programme at Schiphol is the largest ever undertaken by Diageo GTME Europe but was also very unique for Schiphol itself. We are always looking for ways to collaborate with a supplier and surprise passengers and engage them in exciting and memorable activities and experiences. Consequently, Diageo’s motivation to realise growth through creative and innovative investments and using Schiphol for that was a match made in heaven.
