TREX Awards: ‘Cheers with Whisky’ by CDFG leads roll of honour among China-focused campaigns

CHINA. China Duty Free Group’s (CDFG) acclaimed ‘Cheers with Whisky’ (威你干杯) campaign has gained major recognition at this year’s The Moodie Davitt Report TREX (travel retail-exclusive) Awards, with its immersive whisky education, product discovery and cultural storytelling elements to the fore.

The project took home two awards as it was crowned Best TREX-Related Communications and Concept, as well as receiving Gold in the Best TREX Marketing Campaign category.

Revealed in phases over the past week, the TREX Awards span multiple categories, recognising differentiation and excellence in travel retail while celebrating products, campaigns and collaborations that deliver unique, channel-specific value to travellers.

The hugely ambitious CDFG programme saw the retailer leverage the offline experience of the magnificent Haikou cdf Malt & More Whisky Museum and the online ecosystem of the cdf Member mini program (cdf会员购) to create a leading whisky retail and content platform in China – the ‘Cheers with Whisky’ cdf Online Whisky Museum.

Cheers with Whisky delivered a series of specially curated live-streaming programmes and city-based offline activations, and CDFG partnered closely with leading global whisky brands to elevate brand visibility, engagement and category influence in the Chinese market.

Celebrities 胡军 and 李乃文 (Hu Jun and Li Naiwen) served as cdf Whisky Ambassadors during the campaign, bringing their phenomenal star appeal to millions of online viewers.

Paired with themed livestreams linked to the downtown stores, the ‘Cheers with Whisky’ model merges immersive tasting, cultural education and on-the-spot online purchasing to deliver cultural impact, experiences and sales conversion.

TREX Convenor of Judging, The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie, said: “This astonishingly ambitious, multi-faceted campaign represents a noble world-first for our industry and richly deserves recognition in the TREX Awards.

“This is an unprecedented case study of a travel retailer leveraging its already powerful online-to-offline expertise and audience to create something bigger altogether – China’s leading whisky retail and content platform.

“This was an extraordinary mix of education, discovery and rich cultural storytelling.

“Cheers with Whisky (威你干杯) was rooted in deep consumer insights. The campaign seamlessly combined emotional value, compelling narrative and a marvellously expansive and diverse range of whiskies – including travel retail-exclusives.

“It adopted a diverse array of deeply innovative marketing formats, including bonded-warehouse live streaming, in-store live commerce and offline whisky-tasting experiences.

“The project also delivered extraordinary results in terms of visibility, sales and – not least – a huge boost to the retailer’s status and credibility as a world-class purveyor of fine whiskies. Magnificent.”

As noted in the TREX Marketing Campaign category (below), the initiative boosted CDFG’s visibility, sales and reputation as a leading fine whisky retailer.

The Cross-Channel Innovation & Whiskey Culture: cdf Museum’s Anniversary Marketing Campaign integrated CDFG’s physical and digital touchpoints to create an online and offline whisky experience, blending education, product discovery and brand storytelling.

The cdf Malt & More Whisky Museum marked its first anniversary in October 2025, having welcomed over 4.9 million visitors since opening.

The flagship destination features an 18-metre whisky wall with more than 2,000 bottles from over 130 brands, including the world’s top ten producers, alongside tastings, historic displays and brand pop-ups.

Judges lauded the campaign as “highly innovative”, noting its effective use of the museum to elevate the customer experience while promoting whisky culture. They also commended its impressive media reach.

The retailer was also praised by the judges for its ambition, scale and seamless integration of online and offline experiences, combining whisky education, product discovery and cultural storytelling.

They highlighted its creative use of live commerce, experiential activations and partnerships with leading global whisky brands to boost engagement and category growth in China.

In related TREX news, LVMH beauty brand fresh claimed Gold in the Marketing Campaign category for its Kombucha Luminosity Studio activation, delivered in collaboration with CDFG at the cdf International Duty Free Shopping Complex in Haitang Bay.

The campaign immersed travellers in the fresh Kombucha story through sensory experiences and social media engagement, highlighting the range’s skin-enhancing benefits while generating strong commercial results.

Judges described the Kombucha Luminosity Studio as a “superbly prime example” of experiential retail.

It also earned praise for bringing the brand to life through an immersive, selfie-friendly environment that tapped into Gen Z’s snapshot culture.

The campaign delivered strongly on its objectives – driving brand awareness, social buzz and conversion during Golden Week – with particular commendation for the collaboration with CDFG.

Another China-focused launch that earned acclaim was Helena Rubinstein’s (L’Oréal Travel Retail) Luxury Travel Repair Set, which claimed Gold in the TREX Marketing Campaign category.

Launched in October 2025 as the flagship of the brand’s TREX campaign, the post-flight skincare set addresses dehydration and fatigue through a routine featuring Helena Rubinstein’s Re-Plasty Age Recovery Night Cream, Re-Plasty Pro Filler Serum and Prodigy Cellglow The Rich Dewy Essence.

The campaign was highlighted through the brand’s first global TREX Travel Like Helena concept at DFS Macau Shoppes at Four Seasons, where a multi-sensory travel lounge invited travellers to pause, recover and recharge.

The judges commended the campaign’s impactful, heritage-led storytelling, its clear focus on discerning luxury travellers and its carefully executed roll-out across Macau and Hainan.

They noted the strategy delivered impressive commercial results, with Helena Rubinstein becoming the top-performing brand at DFS Hong Kong and Macau during the launch. ✈