SINGAPORE. Bacardi-owned Dewar’s, in collaboration with Lotte Duty Free and Changi Airport Group, has opened an experiential pop-up at Singapore Changi Airport. The Changi-1st animation marks a first for the blended Scotch whisky brand at the airport.
The Dewar’s Speakeasy – Hidden in Plain Sight activation combines immersive storytelling, whisky discovery and cocktail service. It occupies a high-footfall location in Terminal 3 and is running until 16 September.
The 36.3sq m space takes inspiration from the stylish world of the speakeasy, combining Art Deco-inspired design and theatrical elements with a fully operational cocktail bar.
The activation is brought to life by three dedicated brand ambassador roles.
‘The Scout’ engages passing travellers outside the space and presents them with a gold-embossed Dewar’s envelope containing a secret invitation and password.
Inside, ‘The Host’ guides visitors through the portfolio and offers personalised recommendations and special gifts. Finally, ‘The Bartender’ leads the cocktail and whisky-serving experience.
The experience is structured around three distinct customer journeys, Bacardi said. The primary journey uses digital airport screens featuring cryptic messaging and moving velvet imagery to build intrigue. The visuals encourage travellers to discover the speakeasy, explore the Dewar’s portfolio and sample cocktails from the core range.
The theatrical journey begins with the personal invitation from The Scout and culminates in the reveal of the Dewar’s Double Double back bar, followed by a sensory tasting ritual featuring headphones, food pairings and three guided whisky pours.
The third journey centres on elevated live moments, with musical performances turning the speakeasy into an intimate jazz-inspired venue at selected times.
Roaming sampling across the Terminal 3 concourse extends the activation’s reach and drives additional footfall to the pop-up.
The Dewar’s Double Double Collection, comprising the 20, 26 and travel retail-exclusive (TREX) 30 Year Old expressions, is the central focus of the speakeasy.
The range is presented alongside Dewar’s 15 Year Old and 18 Year Old and limited-edition Dewar’s Double Agent 16 Year Old.
A dedicated cocktail menu offers the Dewar’s Highball, Old Fashioned and Rob Roy, alongside Dewar’s Double Double served neat. Gift-with-purchase incentives and gifting services are also offered to encourage conversion.
The speakeasy is supported by a wider airport campaign spanning the entire traveller journey. Pre-trip programmatic advertising and social media are complemented by in-trip geotargeting and promotional activity to build awareness and direct travellers to the Terminal 3 location.
The brand has also placed an emphasis on social sharing, incorporating visual and theatrical elements intended to encourage visitors to capture and share their experience.
Bacardi Global Travel Retail Marketing Director Darragh Ryan commented: “Travellers at Changi are time-poor but actively seeking meaningful moments; the perfect gift or a premium treat before take-off. The Dewar’s Speakeasy is built to stop them in their tracks and elevate whisky from product to experience.
“This isn’t just another retail opportunity; it’s an exclusive, immersive Dewar’s experience that brings theatre, intrigue and premium engagement to a Changi-1st launch, setting a new standard for whisky retail in travel retail, with a clear commercial pathway from curiosity to confident, high-value conversion.” ✈
*Announcing The TREX Factor – Reaching B2C + B2B Audiences
The Moodie Davitt Report has launched a breakthrough crossover B2B to B2C video series focused entirely on travel retail-exclusive (TREX) products. {Click on the YouTube Icon to view TREX Travels to the Duty-Free World, the introductory video to The TREX Factor} Filmed by our acclaimed Shenzhen-based Moodie Davitt STUDIO division, the pioneering B2B and B2C crossover series is being shown in multi-lingual form (led by but not limited to Chinese and English) on the Moodie Davitt STUDIO YouTube channel and our WeChat Video platforms. EPISODE 1{Click on the YouTube icon to view Episode 1 on the Moodie Davitt STUDIO platform or here to watch on WeChat with Chinese subtitles} In our worldwide premiere, resident TREX Master Martin Moodie – the world’s leading duty-free shopping commentator and Founder of world-renowned The Moodie Davitt Report, introduces Johnnie Walker Blue Label Xordinaire, aged in former French XO Cognac casks, designed to add an element of smoothness and sweetness. Johnnie Walker Blue Label Xordinaire brings these elements together for an extraordinary finish. And, most importantly, it is a definitive TREX, available only in duty-free and travel retail stores. Click on the YouTube icon to view. EPISODE 2{Click on the YouTube icon to view Episode 2 on the Moodie Davitt STUDIO platform or here to watch on WeChat with Chinese subtitles} In our second episode, resident TREX Master Martin Moodie introduces you to two single malt whiskies from The Macallan, one of the truly famous Scotch whiskey distilleries of the world. Two very interesting variants with very different stories behind them. Click on the YouTube icon to view. EPISODE 3Our third episode features 叠川 The Chuan, which celebrates the vision of French drinks powerhouse Pernod Ricard to create a prestige Chinese malt whisky. Resident TREX Master Martin Moodie is joined on set by Rolls Wang, Retail Manager at Duty Zero by cdf, Hong Kong International Airport. EPISODE 4In this episode we taste two fine whiskies from Japan under the Misaka label – Misaka 12 Years Old Pure Malt PX Sherry Cask and Misaka 12 Years Old Mizunara Cask. Resident TREX Master Martin Moodie is joined by Hong Kong-based Australian entrepreneur, wines & spirits distributor, restaurateur, whisky aficionado and now whisky owner, Harry Kartasis, who introduced the brand to the world. EPISODE 5In this episode, we stay with the house of Misaka This time around Harry takes us up the premiumisation ladder, as he introduces Misaka 18 Years Old Pure Malt Mizunara Cask and its 21 Years sibling. Like its predecessor edition, Episode 5 was shot inside Harry’s acclaimed Mexican restaurant in Wan Chai, Hong Kong, El Gordo Tacos & Grill. Brands or retailers wishing to participate should contact Martin Moodie at Martin@MoodieDavittReport.com |
