QATAR. Mondelez World Travel Retail (WTR) and Qatar Duty Free (QDF) brought the world-exclusive Toblerone Pink Crush to life at Hamad International Airport (HIA) with a high-impact Stunt Day activation on 12 January.
The terminal-wide activation marked the first joint live expression of Mondelez WTR’s Destination: Value growth vision and Qatar Duty Free’s Experiencentricity approach. According to the partners, experience-led activations such as Toblerone Pink Crush can drive consideration, penetration, volume and value through relevance, exclusivity and surprise.
The stunt day took Toblerone Pink Crush beyond a singular retail space and featured throughout the passenger journey, leading travellers to Qatar Duty Free stores. It showcased how Mondelez WTR’s Destination: Value comes to life when brands engage shoppers along the path-to-purchase, not only at the shelf.
The campaign invited travellers to spot specially trained Pink Agents moving throughout the airport. Dressed in bright pink, the agents initially blended into crowds before revealing the stunt day mechanic. Travellers who scanned QR codes worn on the agents’ backs received an instant digital winning code, redeemable at Qatar Duty Free for an exclusive Toblerone Pink Crush bar.
The event was capped at 600 bars for the day. Once the hourly allocation was reached, travellers could instead win a Toblerone Milk Bar until the next release window.
Qatar Duty Free’s ability to share real-time traveller data with brand partners enhanced the stunt day enabling Mondelez WTR to align timing, movement and touchpoints with live passenger flows and digital engagement patterns across the terminal.
In addition, branded airport buggies boosted awareness across the terminal while influencer activities furthered engagement online. The activation’s fast-paced, playful tone and the influencers’ content gave future travellers a glimpse into the world of Toblerone Pink Crush.
The stunt also coincided with the launch of the Pink Crush Privilege Club loyalty campaign. Qatar Airways Group Privilege Club members travelling during the activation period received personalised communications inviting them to visit the pop-up, collect a scratch card and be in with a chance of winning an exclusive bar.
The stunt day generated strong buzz and active participation around Toblerone Pink Crush. It supported the partners’ longer-term objective to drive pre-planned purchases and category growth by combining premium differentiation, creativity and collaboration in the airport environment.
According to the partners, the stunt day was created to engage an audience with fast mobile-led interaction. Hamad International Airport welcomes around 144,000 passengers daily and records between 58,000 and 86,000 wifi connections each day.
“At Qatar Duty Free, our focus is on creating experiences that engage and excite travellers as they pass through the airport,” commented Qatar Airways Group Chief Retail & Hospitality Officer Thabet Musleh.
“Initiatives like the Pink Crush stunt demonstrate how collaboration with partners such as Mondelez WTR can turn a world-exclusive product launch into a surprising, live-action moment that travellers can participate in.
“It’s a simple but effective way to bring energy and enjoyment into the journey and reinforce Hamad International Airport as a place for discovery, where retail experiences go beyond the traditional store environment.”
“We wanted to show how an ultra-limited product can come to life in a way that genuinely connects with travellers at that moment in time,” added Mondelez WTR Vice President and Managing Director Joost Rosmuller.
“Designed as an experience around the airport journey, from arrival to purchase, this stunt illustrates our vision for the future of travel retail: a shopping environment built around how people arrive, move around, notice things, engage with them and make decisions along the way.
“It’s a clear example of our Destination: Value vision in action, using insight and experience to transform ordinary travel moments into genuine value for the category.”
He added: “None of this would have been possible without close collaboration with Qatar Duty Free. Our teams planned every touchpoint with the traveller journey in mind to ensure the experience felt natural and emotional.” ✈
