USA. The Macallan, part of Edrington, has partnered with DFS Group and Los Angeles World Airports to launch an ambitious activation space celebrating the travel retail-exclusive Colour Collection.
The pop-up is located in the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Tom Bradley International Terminal and is running until November. It is the latest in a series of global activations celebrating the Colour Collection.
Launched in 2023, The Macallan Colour Collection is a new range of exceptional whiskies exploring the brand’s commitment to delivering natural colour through maturation in sherry-seasoned casks.
The Colour Collection features a refreshed visual identity inspired by the distillery’s heritage and its spiritual home, The Macallan Estate. The designs were created by long-time The Macallan collaborator American illustrator/graphic artist David Carson and underline the brand’s connection to nature. Carson took inspiration from Jerez, where The Macallan’s sherry-seasoned oak casks are made.
The animation’s design takes inspiration from The Macallan Colour Collection’s vibrant natural colours and packaging, while The Macallan logo, suspended in multiple layers, creates visual impact from afar.
The pop-up is described by the brand as its ‘most technically ambitious yet in travel retail’. The animation features an array of textures and materials representing different elements from Carson’s collage.
As with other Colour Collection pop-ups, the design of the activation space is based on The Macallan’s refreshed visual identity which includes a wave pattern inspired by the shape of The River Spey as it curves around the boundary of the estate.
A gallery wall featuring Carson’s artwork and key visuals from the collection adds further visual impact to the vibrant space.
Digital and sensorial touchpoints are a central focus at the pop-up. These include a nosing tray, bespoke gifting services and a digital profiling tool called Discover Your Expression, which matches travellers with their preferred Colour Collection whisky.
The Macallan Colour Collection is made up of five age statement single malt Scotch whiskies. The range spans all the colours of the whisky spectrum showcasing the natural hues derived from maturation. It begins with the golden oak-toned 12 Year Old, 15 Year Old, 18 Year Old and 21 Year Old, all the way to the burnished chestnut of the 30 Year Old.
The Colour Collection is crafted from predominantly sherry/American oak casks, which include a subtle touch of European oak. Deepening in colour with age, the range showcases the natural tones derived from maturation in The Macallan’s sherry-seasoned oak casks from Jerez de la Frontera, Spain.
In addition, the pop-up offers a special Giclée art print by Carson from the Colour Collection archival folio. A limited amount of these archival folios was created and will soon be available to purchase together with the Colour Collection 21 Year Old and 30 Year whiskies at the pop-up. Each copy of the Giclée art print is serialised and autographed by Carson.
DFS Group Senior Director for Spirits, Wine, Tobacco, Food and Gifts Daniel Licari said: “DFS is delighted to showcase The Macallan Colour Collection pop-up in North America’s leading airport. The first pop-up of this scale for DFS with our trusted partner Edrington showcases The Macallan’s latest experience and assortment, bringing together the new Colour Collection with The Macallan’s exceptional fine and rare collection.
“We are extremely proud and wish to extend our gratitude to the teams that have been involved in bringing this to life.”
“The show-stopping pop-up at Los Angeles International Airport effectively captures the essence of The Macallan Colour Collection and is one of our most ambitious yet in terms of digital engagement and design,” added Edrington Regional Managing Director Global Travel Retail Jeremy Speirs.
“With a strong focus on storytelling and interactivity, the space sends a clear signal of our commitment to elevate the shopping experience in travel retail and adds another dimension to the retail offer at one of North America’s busiest airports.”
Los Angeles World Airports Deputy Executive Director for Commercial Development Dave Jones added: “At Los Angeles International Airport, we are always looking for ways to enhance our guests’ journey and provide them with more exciting shopping options.
“This pop-up is a great example of how we can bring innovative and exciting concepts to our terminals and create memorable moments for our guests. We invite travellers to visit DFS Los Angeles International Airport Tom Bradley International Terminal and discover The Macallan Colour Collection.”
In addition to the Colour Collection, a curated selection of The Macallan single malts is showcased at the animation, allowing customers to explore the whisky house’s travel retail exclusives and limited releases.
These include the travel retail-exclusive Harmony Collection Green Meadow, The Macallan Estate and the limited-edition A Night on Earth The Journey release.
They are joined by Folio 7, the seventh release in The Macallan archival series, and the prestige M Collection including the latest expression, M Copper. ✈
