INTERNATIONAL. Diageo Global Travel & Middle East (GTME) is rolling out the new Smirnoff Espresso as a travel retail exclusive for a five-month period until August.
The new coffee-flavoured vodka was launched through King Power Duty Free at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport on 1 April, followed by other locations from 1 May, with 46 airports taking part in a broad-ranging and highly visual promotional campaign.
Diageo said the new flavour was inspired by Smirnoff No. 21 as part of its Nightlife Exchange Project, which runs in a number of key domestic markets around nightlife events (see note below).
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The new Smirnoff Espresso, pictured at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport where it was launched through King Power Duty Free on 1 April, is being rolled out initially as a travel retail exclusive across 46 airports by brand owner Diageo |
At Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, there is a large concourse activation that aims to engage shoppers with a nightlife-themed scene featuring LED video walls and DJ booths, with a DJ playing live on certain days. Interactive photo booths enable shoppers to take personalised photos of themselves against a variety of location or nightlife-themed backdrops. These can be instantly emailed to friends or printed out in a Smirnoff-branded frame. A free portable speaker is offered with purchase of any two bottles of Smirnoff.
Other similar activations are taking place at Dubai and Frankfurt airports as well as in Australia. Across the world, all locations will carry branded merchandising units, product videos and sampling, with additional in-store support from brand ambassadors, where possible.
The 1-litre bottle pack itself comes with neck hangers and leaflets with cocktail recipes. Smirnoff Espresso is designed to be drunk with cola and an orange wedge on a night out, the brand owner said.
Diageo GTME Marketing Manager – White Spirits, Rums and Liqueurs Chin Ru Foo said: “Many shoppers in travel retail are looking for something new and different that they can’t find at home and we are confident of meeting that need with this exclusive launch of the Smirnoff Espresso limited edition. The energetic nightlife-focused activations bring to life this bold new flavour in targeted locations and are designed to attract footfall into stores as shoppers are motivated by the fantastic purchase opportunity.
“Vodka is the most popular spirit category in the world and it still has enormous opportunity to reach its full potential in travel retail. Through exclusives such as Smirnoff Espresso, coupled with stunning activations that surprise and engage shoppers, we will increase the vibrancy of this exciting category.”
Note: The Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange project (NEP) is a global activation in key domestic markets. The through the line and events campaign connects with consumers through nightlife culture in cities around the world. In November 2010 the NEP culminated in 14 different cities where countries “˜swapped’ nightlife. For example party-goers at the NEP in Buenos Aires were treated to a traditional night out in Dublin, and the event in Dublin took a page from Argentinean nightlife. In 2010 NEP connected with hundreds of thousands of consumers both directly at events and through social media platforms including facebook and Twitter, Diageo said.
