UK. In a milestone for the brand, American whiskey house Jack Daniel’s has unveiled its first-ever single malt whiskey as a travel retail exclusive. To celebrate the launch, Brown-Forman has joined hands with Dufry, Heathrow Airport and JCDecaux for an immersive, omnichannel activation in Terminal 5. It is running until 22 October.
Brown-Forman is simultaneously running a twin Jack Daniel’s activation in Changi Airport in Singapore.
The Moodie Davitt Report Brands Director Hannah Tan-Gillies was on location for the official unveiling of the activation, which marks the first major Jack Daniel’s activation in global travel retail.
Click the YouTube link above for exclusive video coverage filmed on location during the official unveiling of the Jack Daniel’s activation in Heathrow
Rich brown and navy blue hues decorate the space, which is designed to evoke the feeling of a premium American bar. Striking wood details meet antique-style mirrored elements to create plenty of atmosphere for travellers to experience the exclusive expression.
The Jack Daniel’s American Single Malt whiskey features prominently throughout the activation space, brought to life via free tastings and vibrant digital screens.
A leather banquette sits on one corner of the space, emblazoned with the American whiskey house’s mantra “Every day we make it, we’ll make it the best we can”. Travellers can enjoy a special tasting, led by Jack Daniel’s Brand Ambassadors, which highlights the different notes and flavours of the exclusive expression.
As a final flourish, travellers’ purchases are packaged in a Heathrow Airport-exclusive gifting bag, giving the shopping experience an added element of Sense of Place.
Created by Jack Daniel’s Master Distiller Chris Fletcher, the expression is crafted from 100% American barley and then softened using the whiskey house’s traditional charcoal mellowing process.
Afterwards, it is aged in handcrafted American oak barrels before finishing in Oloroso sherry casks. The whiskey offers subtle flavours of caramel and vanilla, complemented by dark chocolate, nuts and berry notes. It is housed in a new decanter-inspired bottle, which features a navy, gold and brown colour palette.
The activation is supported by a high-profile OOH media digital screen campaign, launched in partnership with JCDecaux, which is running throughout the airport.
In an exclusive sit-down interview with The Moodie Davitt Report, Brown-Forman Marketing Director Global Travel Retail Stéphane Morizet, Dufry Commercial Director Eve Fifer, JCDecaux Associate Commercial Director Chris Chater and Heathrow Airport Media Senior Account Manager Rory Ford talk about shared values, recovery and the Quaternity partnership that helped bring the Jack Daniel’s activation to life.
Quaternity in action
Speaking about the inspirations behind the Jack Daniel’s activation and the travel retail-exclusive expression it celebrates, Morizet said: “Today we are marking a special milestone as we push the boundaries of whiskey. Jack Daniel’s is a brand of quality, tradition and craftsmanship and we continue to inject innovation throughout our journey, particularly in travel retail.
“Today is all about innovation in how we craft our liquid, design our packaging and create an elevated experience for our shoppers.
“We are bringing the signature taste of Jack Daniel’s from its spiritual home in Lynchburg Tennessee to London – but with a twist,” Morizet added. “With this activation in Heathrow — one of the most vibrant aviation hubs — we are reaching the whole travel retail world. This project underscores our commitment to travel retail and our mission to bring fine liquids, exclusivity and experience to the channel.
“This project is 18 months in the making and is the result of a collective effort. It would not have been possible without our partners in Lynchburg, our global Brown-Forman team and of course our Quaternity partners Dufry, Heathrow and JCDecaux.”
According to the partners, the activation is a shining example of what good Quaternity partnerships can achieve. Offering the retailer perspective, Fifer said: “This Quaternity partnership is really a gift. Together, we all want to elevate the travel retail environment and we can’t do that on our own.
“As a retailer, we need to engage airport partners, brands and advertising partners that share our ethos. It’s not just about retail. With a project like this you’re adding something new and exciting to the traveller journey.”
“It’s been such an experience working with Dufry, Heathrow and Brown-Forman on this project,” Chater added. “Heathrow has been such a big platform for experiential, story-driven retail in recent years and the demand continues to grow.
“Having the additional support in digital with the Heathrow digital advertising placements and retail eye vision near the World Duty Free stores give brands that extra leverage to stand out.”
Echoing those sentiments, Ford added: “We’re delighted to have Jack Daniel’s here today. This Quaternity partnership has allowed us to create a fantastic activation during one of our busiest periods. In fact, getting our numbers back yesterday, Heathrow is now the busiest airport in Europe.”
A strong rebound
The pop-up, according to Ford and Chater, could not have come at a better time as Heathrow’s passenger numbers continue to rebound. “We’re seeing strong return in the business market and China market too,” Ford said. “We’re getting our passengers back, but the quality of the passenger mix has upscaled and that is exactly what you’d expect for Heathrow.
“The build-back has ended now and we’re returning to full capacity, allowing us to give brands such as Jack Daniel’s the best of what Heathrow has to offer. We have 1,600 JCDecaux media sites across the airport, putting these activations and brands front of mind for all our passengers.”
Chater added: “Analysing the first seven months of this year, we’re definitely back. In Terminal 5, we’re already at 101% of 2019 levels.”
A new player in single malt
The Jack Daniel’s American Single Malt Whiskey represents a new chapter for the whiskey house and a significant investment for Brown-Forman.
“This expression is a wonderful opportunity to delight our Jack Daniel’s fans from around the world and to recruit new ones,” Morizet said. “Our customers have been eagerly awaiting our entrance into single malt space. We see this as an opportunity to reach a broader and more diverse audience of whiskey lovers, and so it made sense to launch it as a travel retail exclusive.
“Through this liquid and this pop-up campaign, we can showcase what we can do differently in the single malt category and do it in an unapologetic, Jack Daniel’s way.
“This is a global launch,” Morizet added. “After Heathrow and Changi, we are rolling out 40 activations around the world. Altogether, this will help us connect with 13 million travellers that will hopefully lead to 60,000 whiskies on lips.
“We are serious about this launch and have been super selective about where to activate at scale these first few weeks – which is why we have chosen Heathrow and Changi.”
The power of experience
In recent years, blockbuster activations have become part and parcel of the airport experience. “Travellers in Heathrow expect these types of activations now,” commented Fifer. “From a retailer perspective, the diversity that we can offer travellers from the start to the end of their airport journey is very special.
“Liquor is standing up on its own and appeals to so many people. The liquor experience is clean, fun and educational and enhances the traveller journey pre-holiday.”
Commenting on the biggest learnings gained from the project, Fifer said: “Being able to retail in the marketing space makes all the difference; you don’t want to send a passenger somewhere else to make the purchase. Being able to purchase directly on-site makes the entire end-to-end experience seamless and easy. To see the product advertised pre-journey adds something too in terms of building brand awareness and engagement.
“We learn every single time we do a project like this and so there’s an evolution as passenger expectations change. Brown-Forman have made a bold statement with this activation, which will impact how passengers view the next one.”
“With blockbuster pop-ups resonating so strongly with our passengers, it has actually become difficult for us to manage demand,” Ford added.
“There has been such strong demand from brands for activations like this in the post-COVID landscape so it’s important for us to prioritise our long-term partners like Brown-Forman, who have been here since Terminal 5 opened in 2014. We need to make sure that we support our oldest and most-valued brand partners.”
The Jack Daniel’s activation represents a new kind of pop-up, moving from exclusive to inclusive. “From a consumer point of the view, the evolution of how we have been doing pop-ups in recent years is all about inclusivity,” Ford explained. “To be honest, we started this area as an exclusive area and as we evolved, we made it more open and inclusive.
“Today, our passengers want something open, with friendly service and an inviting atmosphere. Travellers don’t want to feel like they’re unsure if they should enter a space. What Jack Daniel’s has done is so open, inclusive, inviting, and the multiple digital brand statements both inside and outside of the space are so impactful that it’s impossible to walk by without noticing.
“Our goal is to engage as many people as possible through a positive experience.”
Secrets to success
Many different elements must come together to create a successful activation. When asked what the ‘secret ingredient’ is to create a successful animation in travel retail, each member of the Quaternity offered a different response.
Ford said: “Branding is so important, and adding that element of personalisation to the experience really adds that special something. The Jack Daniel’s brand is already very strong and that is also supported by digital and packaging.
“In addition, Jack Daniel’s has done a great job at launching a premium product at a very accessible price point, which really resonates with our passengers.”
Chater said: “If you’re going to invest time and effort into a project like this, it’s so important to have digital support. The digital advertising placements throughout the whole walkway and through the main part of the World Duty Free store really builds customer engagement and drives traffic to the activation.”
“It’s all about consumer centricity,” Fifer added. “Every decision needs to be consumer centric and focused on that experience. Passengers are savvy now, so if we’re going to offer a space that is more than marketing – it must be more than marketing.”
“A consumer-centric approach is key,” concluded Morizet. “Having long-term trust and commitment between all members of the Quaternity is also super important.
“For a brand like Jack Daniel’s – a whiskey with a 150-year heritage – we don’t think in terms of calendar years but in terms generations. The brand started years ago in Lynchburg and this project was born from 18 months of collaboration and hard work. We see this as a long-term investment and so we’re viewing this as a long-term partnership.” ✈
