AUSTRALIA. Bacardi Global Travel Retail has partnered with Lotte Duty Free to celebrate el Día De los Muertos (an important date in the Mexican cultural calendar when families pay tribute to their ancestors on 1 and 2 November –Ed) with a Patrón El Cielo takeover at Melbourne Airport. It launched on 4 October and runs until 30 November.
The Patrón El Cielo campaign has taken over two mega event spaces in the retailer’s departures duty free store. A Día de Muertos Bar sits at the centre of the store as the standout element of the first pop-up.
It offers a selection of fun and vibrant Día de los Muertos-themed cocktails and an animated digital screen, which presents different brand visuals and campaigns. Skeleton cut-outs and a skull-shaped stockholding unit further bring the Día de los Muertos theme to life and offer plenty of photo-taking opportunities for travellers.
Cocktails include the Patrón Silver Margarita, Patrón Reposado Paloma, Patrón Añejo Old Fashioned and the Patrón El Cielo served neat with a slice of orange.
Travellers can scan a QR code at the pop-up to access the Patrón Tequila Cocktail Lab. Here they can take a taste preference quiz to reveal personalised cocktail recommendations. They can also receive Patrón El Cielo glassware and Patrón mule mugs as gifts with purchase.
At the second location passengers can discover the Experiencia Patrón animation, which showcases the full Patrón range. Piña pattern motifs — inspired by the agave plant from which Patrón is made — feature throughout the space.
Patrón El Cielo is a central focus and features in the lead position in the portfolio hierarchy, encouraging consumers to look for new and elevated ways to enjoy the premium tequila.
An interactive discovery table is a noteworthy element and leads to digitally driven product discovery, which can be accessed via QR codes. Travellers can enjoy detailed product stories, flavour notes, recipe inspiration and an invitation to enjoy a cocktail at the Patrón Día de Muertos bar, seamlessly connecting the two experiences.
Bacardi Global Travel Retail Global Head of Marketing Ignacio Vazquez commented: “The tequila category is on fire right now and Patrón’s leadership credentials are robust. It is the world’s number one super-premium tequila and in GTR with 45% super-premium market share (IWSR 2022).
“It’s also the top contributor to total category sales, delivering US$26 million in 2022, up +91% on 2021. We are so excited to realise our vision for supercharging Patrón in new tequila markets like Australia.”
“The Patrón campaign is one of the first we’ve delivered since we commenced a ten-year partnership with Melbourne Airport this winter — and we love it,” commented Lotte Duty Free CEO Oceania Steve Timms.
“It’s such a cool and exciting concept that delivers a show-stopping and memorable experience for our customers, a central strategic pillar for how we are developing our business in Oceania.”
Commenting on the strategic importance of the campaign, Vazquez continued: “Our mission is to maximise Patrón’s leadership position, elevate the category and deliver continued growth for our retail partners with prestige solutions such as Patrón El Cielo.
“Equally, with the tequila landscape premiumising, there’s tremendous opportunity in dialling up the growing global appeal of cultural events like Día de los Muertos, led by high-quality execution.
“There are so many positive factors at play with 11%* CAGR (2022-2027) making tequila the fastest growing spirits category globally. The global sales forecast for tequila is US$26 billion* by 2027 for the prestige tequila segment.
“With global travel retail the world’s fourth biggest tequila market and its fastest growing, tequila is a truly transformative opportunity for the spirits category in the channel.”
Bacardi Global Travel Retail Regional Director Asia Pacific Gaurav Joshi added: “The growth in premium tequila in Australia is phenomenal and with Patrón’s market leadership representing 29.7% market share in travel retail, we are always open to create opportunities that add value to our retail customers.
“Melbourne Airport is a high-performing location and under Lotte’s new tenure, we are delighted with the partnership in executing the Patrón campaign and excited by Lotte’s consumer-centric plans to take engagement to new levels over the next decade.”
Patrón El Cielo: Reaching new heights in tequila
Patrón El Cielo translates to ‘sky’ in Spanish and epitomises the brand’s mission to redefine and elevate the category. It is the first unaged, four-times distilled silver tequila in the market.
Patrón El Cielo is 40% ABV hand-crafted from 100% Weber Blue Agave grown in Jalisco Mexico. It is distilled using a special process, which unlocks the sweetness of agave combined with an ultra-smooth finish.
It was created by Patrón Master Distiller David Rodriguez and his team who took over 150 tasting sessions to create the final liquid. It is housed in a 70cl glass bottle with striking gold motifs inspired by the volcanic Tahona stone used in the tequila’s artisanal production processes.
Patrón Tequila is 100% natural with only three ingredients – agave, water and yeast. Produced in small batches, over 60 meticulous hands are involved in the making of Patrón tequila from the harvesting of the Weber Blue Agave to the hand-numbering and signing of each bottle and the creation of the handmade copper stills. ✈
