Leading drinks group Pernod Ricard hosted business and media partners in Palm Beach, Florida, on 11 and 12 April for a memorable two-day immersion into the world of Royal Salute Scotch whisky.
The event marked the official launch of the brand’s 21 Year Old Miami Polo Edition, with its stand-out pink bottle and themed packaging inspired by the vibrant Florida city.
As reported, the expression is the latest addition to the Royal Salute Polo Collection, with much of the allocation dedicated to travel retail.
A highlight of the two-day Palm Beach event (at which The Moodie Davitt Report President Dermot Davitt was a guest) was a polo match at Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington, before a crowd of over 300 guests, in support of the work of the Sentebale charity, which helps vulnerable people in Lesotho and Botswana.
Among those taking part was Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, a long-term supporter of the charity. Leading Royal Salute’s presence was the brand’s World Polo Ambassador Malcolm Borwick (himself a celebrated polo player), who has been a central influence in developing Royal Salute’s links with the polo world over the past 15 years.
Later, guests attended under the bougainvillaea of the Santa Rita Polo Barn for an evening of Argentinean-style dining.
As part of the programme, The Duke moderated a chat with Sentebale’s Board Chair, Dr. Sophie Chandauka, and Ntoli Moletsane, Sentebale’s Lesotho-based Country Director who has been with the organisation for 14 years. They discussed the future ambitions for Sentebale and the challenges for children and young people in the southern African country. A series of artworks were also auctioned to raise funds on the night.
On the previous evening guests gathered for a themed poolside dinner and Miami Polo Edition tasting at the Four Seasons Hotel Palm Beach, hosted by Malcolm Borwick.
The whisky was created by Royal Salute Master Blender Sandy Hyslop and inspired by “Miami’s sun-kissed energy”. It is finished in a blend of classic first-fill bourbon and first-fill rye casks, a first in Royal Salute’s blending history.
It is presented in a striking pink flagon and housed in a colourful presentation box featuring illustrations that depict post-polo gatherings, set against Miami’s Art Deco architecture. The bottle and packaging help lend fresh ‘emotion’ to the brand proposition, said Pernod Ricard.
Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail General Manager, Americas Greg Ford told The Moodie Davitt Report: “We are fortunate that with this edition we can bring something new and relevant to this regional market. We believe there is a lot of opportunity in the Americas for our high-value Scotch business. There is spending power and interest but you need to bring something that is new and relevant to them.
“Miami is having a ‘moment’ right now and there is cachet about the lifestyle and experience of Miami right across the Americas. We’re convinced that now is the right time to launch the Royal Salute 21 Year Old Miami Polo Edition.”
He added: “Whether it’s the Miami Polo Edition or the Fashion Editions Royal Salute is attracting both the traditional Scotch shopper looking for something different, as well as drawing in new consumers. We are going to consistently invest in Royal Salute here in the region as the traction is there.
“We are pleased with the size of the allocation for this region. Usually the Americas would have taken a smaller proportion of volume for a launch such as this one. But we are taking much of the liquid for the group, not just travel retail, and more even that US domestic, which shows how ambitious we are. We believe we can do some very strong numbers given the shopper profile and the spend in the airport business.”
Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail Head of Marketing, Americas Aisling Tobin said: “We’re at the start of an exciting new moment for Royal Salute. The brand has seen a lot of growth in domestic markets such as Brazil, Argentina, Dominican Republic and others, and people want to be seen with the brand. A new type of luxury consumer is discovering the brand.”
Pernod Ricard GTR is showcasing the new Miami Polo Edition with an ambitious 360-degree marketing campaign which involves major activations at international hub airports, including London Heathrow, Singapore Changi, Dubai International, Taipei and São Paulo. An experiential pop-up will also run at Miami International Airport in partnership with Duty Free Americas from May.
Tobin said: “We have an exciting pipeline of activity and product launches that will lift the profile of Royal Salute even further, tailored to the new world luxury consumer. Royal Salute is a brand that can bring incremental business to the category, with its growth supported by outstanding impact on shelf.”
Ford also noted that limited editions such as Miami Polo Edition or Royal Salute Fashion Editions help bring fresh energy to the offer.
He added: “We are also leveraging the power of the domestic markets in the region too. GTR needs to make domestic partnerships work as that channel can invest across markets and extend the touchpoints with the consumer.
The Royal Salute 21 Year Old Miami Polo Edition is the sixth edition in the Polo Collection. It aims to capture the spirit of polo locations around the world including Miami, which the brand owner describes as a “modern-day polo destination”.
*An extensive feature on Pernod Ricard Travel Retail Americas appears in The Moodie Davitt Report April Magazine. Click here for access and go to page 52. ✈
