HUNGARY. Diageo Global Travel & Middle East (GTME), Gebr Heinemann and Budapest Airport have partnered to create a major “˜Trinity’ activation at the Hungarian gateway around Johnnie Walker’s sponsorship of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 team.
The promotion focused on Johnnie Walker Gold Label, Green Label and Black Label, and was driven by two key elements. First, every purchase from the participating range entitled the shopper to an entry in a prize draw for a full scale replica F1 steering wheel, signed by team drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, the current world champion. In addition purchases over €90 entitled the shopper to a special gwp, a Johnnie Walker branded trolley bag.
The shared input of the three parties gave the promotion a boost by developing messaging throughout the passenger journey. This included a series of major billboards on the airport approach routes, citylight posters and branding at strategic positions throughout Terminal 2, including check-in, and extensive in-store promotional displays and materials, including uniformed hostesses offering samples.
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The promotion ran both in-store and across strategic locations at Budapest Airport Terminal 2 |
The promotion, which ran between 1 July and 5 August with prizes at each of the two participating Heinemann stores, was timed to peak with the Hungarian Grand Prix on 1 August. The Grand Prix attracted a crowd of over 100,000 and the chance to win the “˜hands on’ prize wheels was a major attraction to them as they travelled through the airport, said the partners.
Budapest Airport Consumer Director Bob McFadyen said: “The Hungarian Grand Prix has celebrated only 25 years so far and is a major landmark event in Hungary, so this represented an exceptional opportunity. We were delighted to share in innovating a new way of working work closely with Diageo GTME and Heinemann, and the promotion has been a great success for everyone involved.”
He added: “The Johnnie Walker promotion demonstrated an inspirational example of brand presence, providing a high degree of colour, vibrancy and excitement throughout Terminal 2 during this important travel period. We are now certainly open to the possibilities of similar activities in the future to create similarly inspiring and engaging activities for our passengers and driving revenues for our business partners.”
Magyar Duty Free (a Gebr Heinemann company) Managing Director Dr Fritz Janach said: “It is vital that travel retail creates new attractions that are not only engaging and thrilling for the shopper but also deliver effective results by driving footfall and penetration. This F1-themed event certainly achieved those criteria superbly. Budapest Airport, Diageo and Magyar Duty Free shared the intensive planning and preparation and it delivered some exceptional results.
“For us, it is important to emphasise that the combined inputs from airport, supplier and retailer not only delivers greater returns but also strengthens the trust in each other, thus opening additional opportunities to further share and strengthen the approach. By sharing and combining our specialist inputs, we deliver a stronger experience for the shopper at Budapest Airport. The careful scheduling of the activity to coincide with the peak of F1 interest in Hungary was combined with the strength of our relationship to create an exceptional experience and we increased Johnnie Walker sales by over +50% against the same period last year.”
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A replica F1 steering wheel, signed by some of the sport’s leading drivers, was among the prizes on offer |
Diageo GTME Sales Manager Máriusz Peres added: “This was a significant Johnnie Walker activation at Budapest Airport, not only for the powerful expression of Trinity-style partnership but also in bringing to medium-sized airports, such as Budapest (about 8 million passengers per year), a format of activation that has previously been restricted to the world’s major airports.
“This project demonstrates that, through closer and smarter sharing of the “˜Trinity-style’ approach, we can actually open up exciting new opportunities share greater returns. Diageo has a unique portfolio of brands that resonate powerfully with consumers across the world and, if we share the approach to put this type of experience in front of the target shopper, they do respond and we can deliver new footfall and conversion and raise ATV.”
Terminal 2 is currently at the centre of a major development programme (over €260 million) under way at the 60-year-old Budapest Ferihegy Airport, including its demolition and replacement with SkyCourt, a new terminal building. SkyCourt will be the heart of the new Terminal 2, with check-in areas expanded by +40%, and all passengers will pass through a central security area. The ground floor will host the retail offer while a mezzanine level will provide a large selection of restaurants, cafés and bars. The retail areas will be expanded by 40,000sq m, doubling the terminal’s current retail space. The project is scheduled for completion later this year.
