Bacardi Global Travel Retail and Virgin Atlantic have joined forces to offer Virgin Clubhouse customers an interactive, virtual reality-based cocktail experience.
In the new ‘Immersive Digital 360 Drinks Experience’, customers are invited to go on a “virtual visit to some of the best bars in the world” to experience one of the signature drinks on the menu.
Customers ordering a cocktail from New York while sat at Heathrow Airport, for example, can be transported to the partner bar using virtual reality. After watching the cocktail made in front of them, the drink is then waiting for customers once they remove the virtual reality headset.
The cocktail experience will run until the end of 2017.
Virgin Clubhouse Food and Beverage Manager Mark Murphy travelled the world filming the best bars in high definition 360-degree video for the campaign. He said: “This is a unique bar experience and we’re looking forward to delighting our Clubhouse customers with a combination of technology, excellent cocktails from across the Bacardi portfolio and world class mixology skills.
“Bacardi shares our ambition and commitment to bring genuinely original experiences to our Clubhouse customers. The bars we have partnered with are recognised as the very best in the world and, with the extensive range of cocktail choices from award-winning bartenders on the menu, presented with an extraordinary immersive digital experience, we have made this a very special and unique opportunity that transports our customers around the world before they fly.”
Bacardi Travel Retail Regional Director Europe Aude Bourdier-Rocourt commented: “The people we reach in the Virgin Clubhouse are the same customers who enjoy drinking Bacardi spirits in their cocktails in leading bars around the world. We want them to enjoy a similarly excellent standard in the Clubhouse, served with an original and unforgettable twist on 21st century travel.”
The virtual reality is available at all Virgin Clubhouses except those in Gatwick, Johannesburg and Boston.
See below for some virtual reality films of some of the bars involved, as well as the full list of cocktails.
Concrete Sazerac from Dandelyan, London
Stone washed Dewar’s 12yo, fermented bitters, absinthe, chocolate stones
Earl Grey Gin & Tonic from White Lyan, London
Earl Grey infused Bombay Sapphire gin, pink grapefruit, tonic
Rum & Cola From BlackTail, New York City
Bacardi Carta Blanca Rum, Coca-Cola, cane syrup, Champagne
EO Manhattan From Employees Only, New York City
Angel’s Envy Rye, Martini Rosso, bitters
Dead Reckoning From Smuggler’s Cove, San Francisco
Bacardi Ocho, tawny port, vanilla cognac, lemon and pineapple juice, bitters
Fennel From Farm To Glass From The Walker Inn, Los Angeles
Grey Goose vodka, sherry, Cointreau, Aquavit, fennel and lemon juice, sugar syrup
Suit & Tie From Columbia Room, Washington DC
Dewar’s 12yo, strawberry, aged vinagre de Jerez, mole bitters
Nikkei Chilcano From Ruka, Boston
Aji chilli infused Grey Goose La Poire vodka, lemon and lime juices and ginger ale
Classic Daiquiri From Necker Island, British Virgin Islands
Bacardi Carta Blanca Rum, fresh lime juice, caster sugar
PREVIOUSLY FEATURED ON MOODIE DAVITT VR
Experiential retail: A VR view of the Havana Night Experience at Heathrow T5
Moodie Davitt VR – Exploring the virtual reality airport opportunity with JCDecaux
Moodie Davitt Virtual Reality: Introducing our new VR Viewers
*NOTE ON MOODIE DAVITT VR
All virtual reality images and video presented on The Moodie Davitt Report will be viewable on VR-enabled devices including: Google Cardboard, Google Daydream, Samsung Gear VR, HTC Hive, LG 360VR and Huawei VR and PlayStation VR – as long as the device has the capability to browse The Moodie Davitt Report website.
Google Cardboard VR works with most modern Android phones. Phones need to be running Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) or above. Ideally they should support NFC too. Cardboard will also work with iPhone 6 and above.
