INTERNATIONAL. Our popular festive season readers’ competition in association with Nestlé proved another smash hit in late 2022 and today we reveal the final winner of five fabulous food hampers.
Nestlé again hosted the competition to celebrate its ambitious VERSE plan to make food the number one most-purchased category in travel retail.
Why the reference to VERSE? Simple. The brainchild of Nestlé International Travel Retail (NITR) General Manager Stewart Dryburgh, it represents Nestlé’s V.E.R.S.E growth model, an acronym that showcases five pillars: Value, Engagement, Regeneration, Sense of Place and Execution.
Each one has a vital role to play in ensuring that Nestlé’s ‘food in 50% of baskets’ target in travel retail is met by 2030, if not before.
How could you win a fantastic, fabulous, festive Nestlé hamper? Again, simple. Entrants just had to do the following:
Day 5
- Name a Christmas or holiday song starting with E
- Name a duty free product or brand starting with E
- Name a Nestlé food or drink product beginning with E
- Put your E words into a verse or limerick.
Once more there were plenty of marvellous entries with the Dubai Duty Free team, until now luckless in the competition, out in creative force.
The winner of our round 3 competition Johan Schölvinck, Managing Director of Market Square Consult and the travel retail bard of The Netherlands, was joint runner-up with this outstanding effort.
Earth Today Rejoices
Estée Lauder
Extrême, Erikli
As ‘22 year-end approaches
We look back on what we’ve done
On what has happened, how the earth looks
What is lost and what we’ve won
Is the light at the end of the tunnel
The headlamp of an oncoming train?
Is the glass half empty, half full
Is our industry at loss or in gain?
What happens to our ice is Extrême
Erikli is the rise of the water
You can’t say Earth Today Rejoices
But you can be happy with Estée Lauder
In times of grief and turbulence
Our travel retail industry brings joy
Be it a fragrance, bubbly glass
Be it a bonbon, scarf or toy
Let us celebrate diversity
Deal in hope and stand together
Travel, embrace in ‘23
Rain or shine, whatever the weather
Johan shared the silver medal with two members of the Dubai Duty Free team, firstly Assistant Buyer | Purchasing Arjun Vellanga.
Evergreen, Holly and Laurel by John H. Hopkins Jr.
Estée Lauder
Nestlé Extrême, Nescafé Espresso
Estée Lauder, a name so grand,
Beauty in a jar, at hand.
Nestlé Extrême, a delicious delight,
Satisfies our cravings day and night.
Nescafé Espresso, my morning bliss
A burst of flavor, a caffeine kiss.
Estée Lauder, Extrême and Espresso,
An exquisite combination, I must confess-o.
Like this day, Evergreen, Holly and Laurel,
And devoid of any quarrel,
Hope our lives will always be seamlessly floral!
And secondly Dubai Duty Free E-Commerce and Social Media Coordinator Aparna Vinod.
Every Year, Every Christmas by Luther Vandross
Emporio Armani, Escada
Nestlé Extrafino, Nescafé Espresso, Nestlé Erikli
Every Year, Every Christmas,
Dressed in Emporio Armani to impress.
Escada perfumes fill the air,
Plenty of Extrafino chocolates to share.
Erikli water in a jug,
Within a room so snug,
I sat in a corner with an espresso-filled mug,
All I want for Christmas is a hug!
But our deserved winner was Dubai Duty Free Sales Assistant Cynthia Tamayo for her original composition, ‘Eight Days of Christmas’, a true travel retail-exclusive. Here is the summarised version (you all know how the song works).
The Eight Days of Christmas
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me
A pair of gold earrings from Dubai Duty Free
2nd day… Cool Apple ear pods
3rd day… Embossed tote bag from Tumi
4th day… Horsebit clutch bag from Gucci
5th day… Sunglasses from Emporio Armani
6th day… Nescafé Gold Espresso coffee and Erikli fresh off from Türkiye
7th day… eyeshadow, eclairs and some Eau de vie
8th day… a special holiday hamper from Nestlé and Mr. Moodie
Great effort Cynthia and as it happens your eighth day gift wish has indeed come true. A hampertastic Nestlé gift is winging its way to you.
Thank you to all our entrants throughout the festive season and to Stewart Dryburgh for adding a festive flourish to the year-end.
