UK. Dufry-owned World Duty Free has launched its first activation with Disney – a Star Wars experience at London Gatwick Airport.
The six-week activation takes place throughout the airport, with a central ‘contentainment’ area in the World Duty Free store in the South Terminal. It will help promote the forthcoming film ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’, which is released on 15 December.
A launch event today (23 November) featured Stormtroopers and Death Troopers alongside popular YouTube star Jack Maynard. Dufry Divisional CEO UK, Central and Eastern Europe Eugenio Andrades said the aim was to make the launch more fun and less corporate, as the activation aims to attract and excite younger generations in the airport retail space.
“Our goal is to give our customers newness, exclusivity and memorable experiences and products,” he said. “This activation more than delivers against all these objectives. It also demonstrates the scale of reach we can deliver to brand partners such as Disney and Lucasfilm and the value of being able to directly target a truly international audience in the airport environment.
“Our special thanks go to Gatwick Airport, who have worked in close partnership with ourselves, Disney and Lucasfilm to facilitate the installation of this experiential activity and amplify it at all relevant points on the customer journey. This ‘trinity’ approach has enabled us to align our individual objectives and stage a spectacular experiential activity which will be seen by 5.3 million people who will be visiting the airport and our store between now and 17 January.”
Andrades noted that the campaign was also intended to appeal to families, and came during the year-end holiday season, when gifting is a vital element.
Gatwick Chief Executive Stewart Wingate said the activation was one of the highlights of the year at the airport. “We are delighted to be hosting this unique in-terminal experience alongside Disney and World Duty Free,” he commented.
“Gatwick is always looking for ways to enhance our passengers’ journeys and in bringing this interactive experience from the globally recognised Star Wars film franchise to our international customer base, we look forward to getting their journeys off to an exciting start.”
The Walt Disney Company UK & Ireland CMO Anna Hill said the company’s aim, in what is its first airport activation, was to “surprise and delight” travellers and bring the Star Wars franchise to new audiences. “It is important to get people to have experiences, and this activation is very immersive and experiential. We are excited about the movie opening, and think it will be absolutely enormous.
“The airport is an exciting and emotional environment, and it is a property that has all types of people. Star Wars appeals to everyone, it isn’t just a ‘fan’ movie. So we have brought that multi-generational story to the airport.”
Walkways in the main car parks feature floor-to-ceiling graphics from the new film and offer travellers a preview of what is to come in the main terminal buildings. An airside exhibit in Gatwick South features the costumes worn by the five main ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ characters: Jyn Erso (played by Academy Award nominee Felicity Jones), Captain Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), Bodhi Rock (Riz Ahmed), Chirrut Imwe (Donnie Yen), and Baze Malbus (Jiang Wen). Passengers can interact by taking selfies or by being photographed by family and friends.
A virtual reality installation features inside the World Duty Free store as part of the main ‘contentainment’ area. The digital screens there display a number of Star Wars videos. Products on offer throughout the store include travel exclusive Star Wars fragrance sets, a collection of 50ml Star Wars fragrances and a range of Lego sets.
A ‘Shop and Collect’ service allows departing passengers to make purchases and collect them upon their return to the airport.
Some of the larger Lego items have been brought in specifically for Gatwick Airport, according to World Duty Free. While not exclusives, they are rarer items and are sold at prices cheaper than on the High Street.
Sales started slowly, according to the retailer, but have been doubling each week. The retailer expects a “significant increase” following today’s launch event, and a further boost once the film is released in December.
The activation also brings together all marketing media, including advertising, signs and immersive experiences, and is designed to reach the passenger at all touchpoints on his or her journey. A competition on social media channels will drive awareness, while the World Duty Free, Gatwick and Disney websites will each feature content and information about the activation.
More content will be unveiled over the course of the activation, keeping it fresh and exciting, World Duty Free said.
The retailer’s collaboration with Disney is also set to continue into 2017 and beyond.