Bacardi is celebrating Lunar New Year (10 February) with a dynamic, multi-region campaign for blended Scotch whisky brand Dewar’s. It is running in Asia Pacific, Middle East and UK travel retail across the 40-day Spring Festival period [In Chinese culture, Lunar New Year is celebrated for up to 40 days and includes many sub-rituals and celebrations –Ed].
To welcome the Year of the Dragon, Dewar’s has launched limited-edition, travel retail-exclusive packaging for its Dewar’s Double Double series. It has also partnered with The Moodie Davitt Report for a vibrant Lunar New Year-themed homepage makeover.
Comprising a 20 Year Old, 26 Year Old and 30 Year Old expression, the Dewar’s Double Double Series is a selection of small batch, prestige, aged blends which are exclusive to global travel retail.
The colourful packaging features a dragon illustration and an interactive digital consumer experience, accessible via a QR code. By scanning the code, shoppers can discover their zodiac fortune for the new year ahead, available in Chinese and English.
Bacardi Global Travel Retail Head of Marketing Ignacio Vazquez commented: “The history of the Chinese zodiac dates back at least 2,000 years as an enduring pivotal element of Lunar New Year celebrations, not only in China but across the globe. The limited-edition Dewar’s Year of the Dragon presentation with its interactive zodiac features makes an entertaining and memorable gift and a commemorative self-treat for whisky lovers.
“That’s why this multi-region activation is not just targeting the key profile of Chinese consumers within China but also engaging them on their travels. It is also designed to engage travellers across North and Southeast Asia as they enjoy the special moments of the festival and its wider cultural appeal.”
The design of the activation’s central gondola display features a simplified version of the ancient Chinese art of paper cutting, creating a whimsical 3-D skyscape of dragons and clouds, with the Dewar’s Double Double series as the feature centrepiece.
As the launch point for a personalised and interactive digital consumer experience, the in-store display also highlights a large zodiac wheel, featuring all 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, with a prominently displayed QR code inviting shoppers to simply scan and discover their zodiac fortune for the year ahead, available in Simplified Chinese and English.
Users arethen invited to go on to explore the online world of Dewar’s and learn more about the creation, taste and heritage of the range.
Outlining further details of the in-store activations across Asia Pacific, the Middle East and UK, Bacardi Global Travel Retail Regional Director, Asia Pacific Gaurav Joshi said: “Lunar New Year 2024 is the most significant date for international travel from and to China since the end of 2019.
“Bacardi is in the business of making moments matter for our consumers – especially during key cultural celebrations like this – and our multi-location campaign is designed to reach Chinese travellers on their journeys and to engage many other nationalities across the world who also enjoy celebrating Lunar New Year.
“With the Civil Aviation Administration of China expecting record numbers of travellers, we are seizing the opportunity of this vital period to drive the whisky category forward and support our retail customers in optimising the occasion, led by Dewar’s.”
According to IWSR 2023, Dewar’s is the fifth-largest blended Scotch whisky brand in global travel retail. It is the fastest-growing brand in terms of year-on-year value among the top five blended Scotch brands. According to the company its premium offering, including the Dewar’s Double Double collection, has been an important driver for its performance with the prestige and prestige+ category leading growth.
The Dewar’s Double Double collection received multiple gold wins at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2023 and scored highest in the Best Blended Scotch Whisky category at the International Whisky Awards 2023 for Dewar’s Double Double 37 Year Old.
In addition, Dewar’s Master Blender Stephanie Macleod was awarded World’s Best Master Blender for a fifth consecutive year at the International Whisky Competition 2023.
Vazquez added: “Dewar’s was born in 1846, under the Year of the Horse, and zodiac profiles often cite that those born in the Year of the Horse are passionate, talented and like to be the centre of attention while making sure everyone around them enjoys their company – an accurate description of the Dewar’s personality.” ✈
