SINGAPORE. William Grant & Sons today officially launched its new Glenfiddich Grand Cru range at Singapore Changi Airport and at a spectacular evening sailing event off Sentosa Island.
The Moodie Davitt Report has been on location at Changi and is providing live coverage on this website and our social media platforms. We are also bringing you news and pictures from this evening’s celebrations onboard Royal Albatross, a ‘sunset sail and brand experience’ that underlines the new line’s luxury credentials.
[Glenfiddich Malt Master Brian Kinsman (pictured below) tells Martin Moodie about the inspiration, the creative journey and the ultimate reality of Glenfiddich Grand Cru]
As revealed by The Moodie Davitt Report earlier this week, the Grand Cru range includes variants exclusive to travel retail and is being supported by activations at several airports across the world, starting with the Singapore gateway.
The Moodie Davitt Report is working closely with William Grant & Sons on this hugely ambitious launch, including a spectacular branded makeover of our home page featuring stunning Glenfiddich Grand Cru theming. Look out for extensive further coverage in coming days.
Below we highlight images from tonight’s celebrations. Scroll down further for images from the Changi launch.
SETTING SAIL WITH A VERY GRAND CRU
EARLIER TODAY AT CHANGI AIRPORT
16.00 It is time for the traditional opening ceremony formalities as William Grant & Sons celebrates its partnershsip with DFS Group and Changi Airport Group to launch the range in travel retail.
14.45 All is set fair at Singapore Changi Airport T3 for one of the most fascinating travel retail drinks launches of recent times. The pop-up right in the heart of the concourse oozes luxury. Not a whisky barrel in sight. This could be a high-end fashion launch. This is the birth of a new concept in Scotch whisky – an exclusive single malt expression that’s been matured for 23 years and finished in French cuvée oak casks. The result: Glenfiddich Grand Cru.
BACKGROUND ON GLENFIDDICH GRAND CRU
Grand Cru is made from an exclusive expression that has been matured for 23 years and finished in French cuvée oak casks that once contained sparkling wines.
The new expression spearheads William Grant & Sons’ ambition to expand its market share within the rapidly expanding luxury end of the spirits business, by elevating the master brand to true luxury status.
The launch also underscores the company’ s aspirations for global travel retail to be its leading luxury channel worldwide by 2024. Grand Cru also represents an effort to recruit a new generation of premium whisky (and adjacent categories) drinkers by challenging category conventions.
William Grant & Sons told The Moodie Davitt Report that Grand Cru’s launch advances those claims by bringing ‘Soul, Substance and Storytelling’ into the US$100 -300 spirits segment.
“The activation support is unlike anything done before by William Grant & Sons. We’ve taken cues from the fashion and beauty industry to develop concepts that combine an amazing sensorial experience for consumers with interactive features that exude luxury and create a true sense of celebration and occasion.” – William Grant & Sons Global Travel Retail Managing Director Ed Cottrell
[image_magnify src=”https://www.moodiedavittreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Grand_600.jpg” src_big=”https://www.moodiedavittreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Grand_1200.jpg” alt=”” /]
[A grand statement: The sleek black glass bottle features gold Grand Cru print and a golden closure. It is presented in an opulent black box featuring a sparking golden firework design, designed to “emanate the spirit of celebration and the true taste of luxury contained within”]
Two variants in the range are exclusive to global travel retail: a 75cl 43% ABV edition available solely through DFS Group, and a 70cl 43% ABV one that is available with other travel retailers.
William Grant & Sons has partnered with DFS Group and Changi Airport Group to launch the range in travel retail at Singapore Changi Airport today (5 September) followed by an evening event, ahead of releasing the range at other airports on 1 October. The Moodie Davitt Report is the sole travel retail media at the Changi launch.
This release, which is in line with the Singapore airport’s renowned Changi First initiative, is accompanied by an immersive activation, where travellers can learn more about the whisky through photo-sharing opportunities, bottle personalisation and complimentary gifts.
Changi Airport Group Senior Vice President of Airside Concessions Teo Chew Hoon said: “Changi Airport Group is thrilled to partner Glenfiddich and DFS in this global launch of the Grand Cru whisky. This elegant outpost combines the rich flavour of whisky with enhanced technology to give passengers an experience like no other right here at Changi Airport.”
DFS Group Senior Vice President Spirits, Wines, Tobacco, Food and Gifts Brooke Supernaw added: “We are honoured to partner with William Grant in unveiling a world first and travel retail-exclusive from Glenfiddich to our discerning customers – whose palates and tastes are constantly evolving and expanding. We hope to redefine moments of celebration with this very special bottle of Glenfiddich Grand Cru, whilst simultaneously appealing to an emerging generation of budding spirit aficionados.”
After the activation at Changi, Glenfiddich Grand Cru will be accompanied by activations at airport locations across the world, including Hong Kong, Incheon, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, Tokyo, Auckland, Melbourne, Sydney, Delhi, Dubai, London Heathrow, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Edinburgh and New York JFK airports.
William Grant & Sons Global Travel Retail Managing Director Ed Cottrell commented: “In global travel retail we are continually striving to keep the offer innovative, fresh, exciting and qualitative. Grand Cru presents a superb opportunity for us and our retail partners to tap into the US$100+ luxury spirits segment with a single malt. Its link to premium French sparkling wines helps us to create a compelling story that will appeal to and recruit a new generation of premium spirits drinkers into the category.
“By offering exclusive variants for global travel retail we continue to meet our customer’s needs for differentiation from domestic markets. The higher strength 43% ABV, compared to the 40% ABV on the domestic market, creates a slightly different offering and enables a price point that better suits the channel.
“But where the industry will see a difference is with the activation support, which is unlike anything done before by William Grant & Sons. We’ve taken cues from the fashion and beauty industry to develop concepts that combine an amazing sensorial experience for consumers with interactive features that exude luxury and create a true sense of celebration and occasion in keeping with the DNA of Grand Cru.
“We will be working closely with our retail partners throughout the last quarter to bring this to life through experiential and interactive video and feature walls, destination bars and pop-up stores, and whisky fair participation, with our plans for Changi beyond anything that has ever been done before.”
The Grand Cru range has benefited from long maturation in American and European oak casks, and is further bolstered with extra intensity from the rare French casks, William Grant & Sons said.
“Breaking category conventions once more, this unusual collaboration presented an exciting opportunity to create a spirit that further elevated our unique Glenfiddich style. We experimented with the maturation time and hand-selected the right balance of 23yo Glenfiddich casks out of our unique collection of old age malts.
“The further influence from the oak of the French cuvée casks added an extra layer of complexity thanks to the liquid they once held. Marrying the best of both worlds, the final liquid presents an exceptional finesse and is a special tribute to each cuvée cask the malts were finished in,” commented Glenfiddich Malt Master Brian Kinsman.
The drop comes in a black glass bottle with gold print and presented in a black box with a firework design designed to emanate the spirit of tradition.
Glenfiddich Global Brand Ambassador Struan Grant Ralph added: “This new whisky exemplifies the brand’s passion for pushing Scotch whisky boundaries, looking beyond the world of whisky to create exquisitely flavoured liquids.”
#Glenfiddich #CelebrateTheOccasion #GlenfiddichGrandCru
Here is a snapshot of our social media coverage celebrating the occasion of William Grant & Sons’ Glenfiddich Grand Cru. Stay tuned for more on @themoodiedavittreport
