Bacardi Global Travel Retail has delivered a virtual reality shopper experience for its Bombay Sapphire brand at London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5.
The multi-media promotion, which has been running throughout September, has taken over The Connect Experience experiential space, operated by JCDecaux Airport.
Underlining Bombay Sapphire gin’s heritage, the activation includes a 360° virtual reality recreation of the Bombay Distillery at Laverstoke, Hampshire. The distillery is represented with a central glass installation, inspired by its original Thomas Heatherwick-designed glasshouses.
Customers are offered a 90 second ‘journey’ to the heart of Laverstoke, with a drone footage fly-through tour of the distillery, and a look at the vapour infusion single fold distillation process, said to give Bombay Sapphire its London Dry flavour profile.
Retail ambassadors offer tastings in a choice of Bombay Sapphire and Star of Bombay-based cocktails, including The Laverstoke, first created by Senior Ambassador Sam Carter for the opening of the distillery in 2014.
A 20% discount voucher to Laverstoke Distillery is offered on all purchases.
In-store, Bombay Sapphire is highlighted in a multi-media branded wall bay and at the temporary bar.
Bacardi Global Travel Retail Managing Director Mike Birch said: “Gin is enjoying an amazing renaissance today and we are proud of how Bombay Sapphire, as category leader, is playing its part in creating sustained growth in travel retail.”
Birch said the joint activation offered an “unforgettable” shopper experience which could boost sales and ensure that customers had the opportunity to taste promoted brands.
Bombay Sapphire Global Director John Grieveson added: “This amazing experience at Terminal 5 is designed to bring to life these core components of heritage, creativity and innovation in a powerfully engaging story-telling experience that will have passengers setting off for all corners of the world carrying with them a flavour and memory of a stunning Bombay Sapphire experience.”
JCDecaux Airport UK Managing Director Alan Sullivan commented: “Premium spirits brands running campaigns like this in the airport are perfect examples of contextual advertising. Terminal 5 is a dynamic space and we expect over 1.5 million passengers to pass within close proximity to this experiential space this month that, we know from our own research, enjoys a 98% chance of interaction.
“The location of our advertising opportunities in such close proximity to World Duty Free allows Heathrow’s discerning passengers to sample the brand in a mindset predisposed to treat themselves. With a 51% AB profile, airports are unique in delivering that highly-sought-after, affluent audience who have a real appetite for premium products, such as Bombay Sapphire.”
