Dive Brief:
- Bacardi-owned vodka brand Grey Goose built an interactive, illuminated Ferris wheel that contains cocktail recipes at JFK Airport in New York, Campaign US reports.
- People can stop by the installation and open the door of a mini chalet on the wheel to unlock a recipe that they can photograph and use to make cocktails at home.
- Grey Goose is also opening a pop-up bar at JFK with cocktails made by New York bartenders, including Jillian Vose of Dead Rabbit, Evan Hawkins of Broken Shaker, Liana Oster of Dante and Channing Centeno of Otis.
Dive Insight:
Grey Goose is looking to build brand awareness with travelers during the chaotic holiday season with its pop-up bar and Ferris wheel full of cocktail recipes. The campaign was inspired by data showing that a bottle of Grey Goose is sold every 13 seconds in global travel retailers, such as duty-free shops at airports, according to the brand. The installation could help drive purchase consideration over the holidays, when spirits sales rise as people often host parties and give booze as gifts.
Pop-ups, installations and other experiential events are becoming go-to marketing tactics for brands as a way to engage with consumers in person. The events can drive social media attention and build a loyal fan base among consumers who enjoy authentic opportunities to engage with their favorite brands. Deploying experiential activations in high-traffic areas like JFK Airport is a strategic way to extend the reach of campaigns to the flood of passersby, who may also be inclined to snap and share photos of the pop-up on social media.
Along with Grey Goose, other brands are creating experiential and out-of-home campaigns to connect with travelers. Rival vodka brand Absolut debuted a "Global Selfie" campaign to promote its new Absolut World product encouraging travelers flying from Frankfurt to Singapore to upload selfies to an online platform that are then shared on digital displays at Frankfurt's airport. Pandora recently debuted a new brand narrative platform and campaign "Sound On," a multichannel effort focusing on experiences and sentiments around holiday travel. The creative will be featured in high-traffic travel hubs, including airports, buses and trains.
