Our regular feature, brought to you in association with Duty Free Global from Ireland, celebrates memorable scenes, moments, launches and campaigns related to the global aviation and travel retail sphere.
TÜRKIYE. Our latest image selection comes courtesy of Unifree Duty Free, which launched a two-month Whisky Festival at Istanbul Airport in September that runs to 31 October, with a special focus on Scotch.
It blends tastings, live entertainment and product immersion in dedicated retail spaces, giving travellers the opportunity to access and explore the rich and diverse whisky category.
At the heart of the festival are dedicated tasting experiences and in-store activations at two of Unifree Duty Free’s main stores in the departures area. Specially designed festival spaces provide a distinctive setting for whisky discovery, while festival stands in arrivals extend the experience to inbound travellers.
Customers are invited to explore the rich diversity of Scotch whisky through an immersive tasting experience featuring a selection of blended Scotch whiskies and single malts from across Scotland’s famed whisky regions.
The experience offers whisky enthusiasts an opportunity to discover the characteristics, flavour profiles and aromas that define different styles and regions, while deepening their appreciation of Scotland’s rich whisky heritage.
Unifree Duty Free’s whisky portfolio brings together more than 80 brands, giving travellers the opportunity to explore the broad category, including rare and aged expressions, in a single destination.
Adding a distinctive cultural and entertainment element to the festival, Unifree Duty Free hosted live bagpipe performances on 1 and 19 September. A traditionally dressed bagpipe player brought an unexpected and engaging moment to the airport retail environment, complementing the festival’s tasting and discovery experiences.
The festival is further supported by digital communications across Unifree Duty Free’s in-store screens, increasing visibility for the activation and inviting passengers to discover the Whisky Festival as they travel through Istanbul Airport.
“Whisky has a rich heritage built around craftsmanship, tradition and storytelling, making it a natural category for creating an engaging experience for travellers,” said Unifree Duty Free Chief Commercial Officer Ceren Tonguç.
“With our Whisky Festival, we wanted to bring the category to life by creating an experience that goes beyond traditional retail. By combining tastings, product discovery, specially designed festival environments and live entertainment, we are giving our guests the opportunity to explore different whisky expressions and engage with the category in a memorable way during their journey.” ✈
