USA. Mark Anthony Brands International has made a big statement about its ambitions in travel retail with the launch of White Claw Premium Vodka in the channel, initially in partnership with DFS Group. [More images plus video will follow shortly.]
The company began a major month-long campaign last week at New York JFK International Airport Terminal 4 to promote the brand’s launch in the channel – it is already one of the most successful spirits launches in the US domestic market in recent years.
To mark White Claw Premium Vodka’s introduction to travel retail, Mark Anthony Brands International has partnered with The Moodie Davitt Report for a colourful website makeover from today. The brand’s wider, vibrant campaign extends worldwide through a multi-million-dollar investment in media, with well-known US actor JB Smoove (Curb Your Enthusiasm) the central character.
The new vodka brand is initially available in travel retail only through DFS at New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Honolulu airports. Alongside the core expression, White Claw is also available in three flavours: Black Cherry, Mango and Pineapple (30% ABV). A one-litre bottle was recently introduced in the US and is available in travel retail.
The JFK T4 campaign is a partnership with Mark Anthony Brands International, distribution partner B&S, DFS Group and airport advertising concessionaire Clear Channel.
Alongside a well-located concourse exhibition and sampling space in the flow of traffic beside the main DFS wines & spirits store, the brand’s visibility benefits from a wide presence across digital media pre- and post-security through Clear Channel, with rotating advertising spots carrying the JB Smoove campaign. The Moodie Davitt Report was on site in New York this week to visit the launch and talk to the partners.
Mark Anthony Brands International Market Director, Spirits — International Markets Ronan O’Neill told The Moodie Davitt Report: “This activation signifies the entry of White Claw Premium Vodka into the travel retail channel. We are delighted to work with DFS, Clear Channel and our distribution partner B&S to bring it to life. It has been a great journey so far.”
O’Neill said that White Claw aims to be a disruptor in the category and in the channel. “We aim to challenge existing brands in this category. There is a huge opportunity to disrupt, just as White Claw seltzer disrupted the beer category after its launch in 2016.
“We identified DFS as the best retailer to work with, bringing our launch campaign to life in a creative and visual way. DFS recognised the opportunity, and Clear Channel helped bring it to life in the concourse areas here at T4.”
DFS Group President Global Merchandising Christophe Marque said: “We are absolutely delighted to introduce the exhilarating and exclusive launch of the White Claw Premium Vodka at DFS, John F. Kennedy International Airport Terminal 4 to the dynamic world of the duty free market. Via an immersive pop-up, we are not only able to welcome valued customers who are already well-acquainted with the White Claw brand to explore its exciting new vodka products, but also extends an enthusiastic invitation to introduce the thrill of White Claw to new customers seeking a new, smooth vodka experience.”
Commenting further, the retailer noted that the activation of digital wall and LED displays “have proved to have great stopping power. We observed an increasing number of travellers visiting the pop-up to find out more about White Claw as a brand and the vodka offerings.”
Clear Channel Outdoor Airports Division Senior Vice President, National Sales Jon Sayer said: “Clear Channel’s Airports Division worked collaboratively with B&S, Mark Anthony Brands and DFS Executions to help them leverage premium airport media space, inside JFK Airport, to engage with highly desirable and influential business and leisure travellers. At a time where air travel continues to surge, and through this impactful experiential activation, White Claw Premium Vodka creatively introduced travellers to a brand experience that capitalised on extended consumer dwell times in a uniquely brand-safe environment.”
T4 is the Delta Air Lines hub at JFK, as well as being home to over 20 other international carriers; it will serve over 12 million departing travellers this year. The terminal is managed by JFKIAT.
“The pop-up retail activations at Terminal 4 are very popular, as they help to create unique and memorable journeys for our guests and showcase the wide range of premium retail offerings at T4,” said JFKIAT VP of Customer Experience & Commercial Ed Midgley.
“At T4 we are committed to providing a best-in-class experience from curb to gate, and we look forward to our continued work with our partners to bring more exciting experiences for passengers as they travel through our terminal.”
Launched in 2016, White Claw Hard Seltzer is the leading hard seltzer in the US – with sales that are ahead of all other brands combined in the category – and expansion proceeding at pace across international markets. Following its rapid growth and strong consumer demand, the company developed a premium vodka, which launched in January 2023 across the US. International markets are now following, with travel retail an important channel for visibility and building brand awareness.
White Claw Premium Vodka is the product of a major innovation drive in the vodka category, said the company. It created a proprietary process, Triple Wave Filtered – a first-of-its-kind filtration process that uses tremendous pressure, equal to three 30-foot waves, according to the brand owner. It is made with 100% American grain and distilled five times.
The company has said it is capitalising “on decades of disruption and innovation in drinks to offer a new generation of drinkers the most distinctive American vodka in 25 years”. Its campaign in US domestic in recent months has centred around its tag line of ‘the world’s smoovest vodka’ and featured across a range of trade events, POS and retail displays with major US retailers, plus a media and PR drive, with wide exposure on social media.
The audience in travel retail, said O’Neill, is Gen Z consumers. “We target ‘freedom seekers’ in their 20s, and both male and female consumers. White Claw already has high awareness among this audience, and we want to bring this generation back into vodka, when they are maybe at risk of moving to other categories.
“That’s great news for travel retail. The channel has many brands that might appeal to an older consumer, whereas we are very clear on targeting this younger adult audience. That’s great news for airport operators like DFS who want to attract these consumers into their shops.”
Addressing the key consumer groups with which White Claw will resonate, DFS Group VP Store Operations & Business Development JFK, NY Renee Chisolm added: “With the focus on White Claw’s new range of vodka, the target audiences are essentially two groups: existing White Claw customers who already love its tasty and popular hard seltzer and would try anything new from the brand in a heartbeat; and vodka lovers who are always on the lookout to try new brands. What unifies these two groups of target audiences is the role of ‘traveller’, both domestic and international, given the diversified profiles of travellers in JFK T4. DFS is excited to be the partner of choice with White Claw to help serve the ‘world’s smoothest vodka’ to more travellers.”
Assessing how it would measure the success of the launch campaign, Chisolm said: “What’s important is to ensure that the customers are provided with a holistic and engaging experience from start to end where they are presented with an opportunity to find out more about the brand and the products through effective storytelling.
“Using the pop-up as an example, wow factors such as interesting designs, eye-catching LED displays are a must to draw in the customers. Once they are intrigued enough to stop by the setup, we’d need to ensure that they are provided with a liquid to lips experience to drive trial and conversion. The pop-up is now only a week-old and based on the observations of traffic at the pop-up, the results are definitely looking promising.”
On Mark Anthony Brands International’s wider ambitions for the vodka brand in the channel, O’Neill said: “We are hugely ambitious and committed to travel retail. We believe we can reach 250,000 nine-litre cases in the channel in the coming years, and we are investing to that level.”
The vodka brand expansion to new markets is tracking that of the international roll-out of the seltzer brand. The Australian market will follow around year-end, as will European markets.
“O’Neill added: “We are an ambitious, growth-driven company, and that goes for our full portfolio of brands. We wanted to enter the channel in a strong way and make a statement about our commitment for the long term. Travel retail will a big channel for Mark Anthony Brands International.”
Upon the brand’s official launch earlier this year, The Mark Anthony Group of Companies Founder & CEO Anthony von Mandl said: “Innovation has been at the heart of everything we do for 50 years. We disrupted the industry, creating an entirely new taste in the Hard Seltzer category with White Claw by bringing new thinking, technology breakthroughs, and our unmatched iconic flavours to market. The same innovative spirit and technological know-how inspired the creation of our premium vodka—we believe the vodka category is ready for its White Claw moment.” 
