EUROPE. Champagne house Piper-Heidsieck has rolled out the ‘Drop the Box, Make a Difference’ pop-up concept in key airports in Europe travel retail.
The pop-up campaign launched on 26 September and ran until 23 October. It ran in Terminals 1 and 2E in Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport (CDG), Terminal 1 in Nice Airport and Terminal 1 in Geneva Airport.
The sustainable pop-up concept showcased the Piper- Heidsieck Cuvée Brut and Essentiel expressions without its usual packaging. The animations question the need for rectangular gift boxes and highlights the gifting value of the Champagne house’s bottles without unnecessary packaging.
For every bottle sold as part of the Drop the Box campaign, the Champagne house is donating €1 to non-profit organisation Team for the Planet to fund various climate change projects.
Team for the Planet funds over 100 environmental projects worldwide, having already reduced over nine million kilograms of CO2 in 2022. Some of the projects funded include Carbon Impact and Beyond the Sea. Carbon Impact extracts carbon from the atmosphere using olivine minerals, while Beyond the Sea reduces shipping emissions by using kitesurfing technology to propel ships in the wind.
The pop-ups’ eco-friendly messaging was highlighted by Brand Ambassadors during the activation period. The Brand Ambassadors guided travellers through the heritage and values of the house. They also guide customers through tastings and deliver the key messages of the Drop the Box campaign.
In domestic markets, Wholefoods, Galleries Lafayette and French wine store chain Nicolas have already joined the Drop the Box programme.
The animations also shine the light on Piper-Heidsieck’s B Corp certification. Piper-Heidsieck’s has pledged to reduce all packaging material by -50% by 2030. By dropping the box, Piper-Heidsieck emits -21% less carbon emissions, consumes -34% less energy and saves 105g of cardboard per bottle.
Commenting on the thinking behind the campaign, Piper-Heidsieck said: “When we really think about it, do we really need those big rectangular boxes for our products? Most of the time, we throw them away immediately after opening them. No matter how pretty they were, in the end they were just empty boxes.
“What we want to focus on, is our Champagnes. They are the real gift, with their elegance, freshness and vivacity. So why not simply appreciate what’s inside the bottle?
“Today, our bottles dare to be naked and do without unnecessary packaging. We have taken environmental issues into account by reinforcing sustainable practices in our vineyards and taking a close look at the impact of our production. More than ever, we are committed to doing our bit for the planet.” ✈
