UK. Bacardi Global Travel Retail (GTR) has partnered with Dufry, JCDecaux and Heathrow Airport to create Experiencia Patrón, a four-month celebration of Patrón tequila.
Patrón is the world’s number one super-premium tequila and the travel retail category leader according to IWSR.
Bacardi Global Travel Retail (GTR) described Experiencia Patrón as a “high-octane pop-up consumer experience”.
The activation, which runs from September to December, represents a major investment in establishing the brand with British consumers, according to Bacardi Global Travel Retail Regional Director Europe Sam Pickard.
“We are thrilled to be showcasing Patrón tequila in this immersive brand experience here at Heathrow, one of the top-performing tequila locations in GTR,” he commented.
“It has been fantastic to partner with Dufry, Heathrow Airport and JCDecaux as we push the boundaries on what ‘great’ looks like in consumer engagement. Heathrow T5 is the perfect location to pioneer the potential of the super-premium tequila category with British and international consumers and to reconfirm Patrón tequila as the global category leader.”
Bacardi Global Travel Retail Global Head of Marketing Ignacio Vazquez said that creating a ‘head-turning moment’ on the traveller journey through T5 was a core objective of the project.
“We are immensely proud of how this elegant, organic space intrigues and invites curiosity from travellers as they step inside to discover the story of passion, tireless dedication to perfection and the lengths we go to in creating every bottle of Patrón tequila,” he said.
“This multi-layered experience elevates and beautifully showcases how Patrón tequila is passionately handcrafted and dedicated to achieving perfection in every drop, by masterfully combining select natural ingredients to create a unique portfolio of super-premium and ultra-premium tequilas.
“Ahead of the immersive physical experience in the airport, we are connecting with consumers through targeted digital media to drive consideration in the pre-travel stage. Experiencia Patrón is the epitome of Bacardi’s vision for this new era of travel retail.”
The brand’s latest prestige innovation launch, Patrón en Lalique: Serie 3 is given centre-stage led by an eye-catching display inspired by the French luxury house’s crystal craftsmanship, featuring crystalline white shards against a dramatic black backdrop. This is designed to contrast with the warm colours of the Patrón tequila core brand packaging around it.
Lalique bottles are presented, museum-style, in a glass vitrine display, with QR codes guiding consumers to the dedicated discovery website that Lalique has created. Interactive elements here, as elsewhere on the stand, offer brand stories through AR technology.
The T5 pop-up design features what Bacardi GTR describes as “a timeless yet contemporary” structure of pale latticework, inspired by the shape and texture of the piña of the agave plant, curving around the brand displays, with a golden Patrón tequila bee logo hovering over them to the rear.
The significance of the piña pattern reflects how Patrón tequila cuts close to the heart of the agave plant to ensure only the sweetest part of the agave is used in production. Stone textures create a front ‘driveway’ for the entrance, while agave and hedge planters placed around the front of the pop-up encourage travellers to come in and make themselves at home.
Devised to attract, engage and then convert existing and new Patrón tequila consumers, the space features a dedicated bartender ready to offer elevated cocktails so visitors can experience the brand’s versatility in prestige cocktail making. As they sip, QR codes at the cocktail bar direct consumers to pages where they can enrich their product knowledge via their phones.
The centre of the pop-up features a contoured display stand celebrating the storytelling elements of Patrón tequila with seven beautifully illustrated, printed cards taking consumers through the creative journey from agave plant harvesting to bottle design.
A digital screen transports visitors to a tour of the Patrón tequila Hacienda brand home in Jalisco, Mexico. Another QR code leads to content showcasing how Patrón remains one of the few brands that makes tequila by hand.
This level of attention is reflected at the dedicated gifting station located on one side of the pop-up. Here shoppers can have their purchases gift wrapped and finished with a colourful ribbon from a selection echoing the hues of the core Patrón tequila portfolio. A bee-shaped card is available for customers to write their own personal messages.
Over its duration, the campaign will feature key seasonal themes including Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead, a Mexican holiday traditionally celebrated on 1 and 2 November 1) in November and the run-up to the festive holiday season in December.
A dedicated omnichannel media campaign is designed to maximise consumer reach across each stage of the travel journey to drive brand consideration and conversion.
This includes digital out of home screens on the T5 concourse and in the British Airways lounges, with programmatic and social media driving data collection for post engagement. Consumers also have the chance to win a five-night stay in a 5-star hotel resort on the Mexican Riviera.
About Patrón en Lalique: Serie 3
The expression is designed to showcase “true art through a mutual devotion to handcrafted detail and a tireless dedication to perfection”, Bacardi GTR said.
The liquid is a blend of rare extra añejo tequilas, while the design of the crystal decanter – created by Lalique Artistic and Creative Director Marc Larminaux – is an artistic interpretation of the agave plant.
Patrón en Lalique: Series 3 tells the story of where Patrón tequila is sourced and crafted and shaped by nature.
Patrón tequila Master Distiller David Rodriguez and his team curated a blend of extra añejo tequilas that is so rare, it can never be replicated, according to Bacardi GTR.
Fourteen different tequilas each aged for up to eight years in French and American oak casks were selected and combined to create the expression.
The liquid is marked by a crystalline colour and sweet and smooth taste featuring hints of spices, dried fruits, sherry wine and intense wood.
Each decanter is handmade and individually numbered at Lalique’s factory in Wingen-sur-Moder, in Alsace, France by a team of expert glassmakers deploying a combination of modern and traditional techniques.
