Ballantine’s teams up with wood sculptor

Pernod Ricard Asia Travel Retail is collaborating with Korean wood artist Lee Sam Woong to launch Ballantine’s 21 Signature Oak Edition, with messaging at every stage of the “Travel Trail”.

Ballantine’s has launched a new 21YO blend in travel retail with a full “travel trail” activation

Ballantine’s 21 Year Old Signature Oak Edition – European Oak is the first of two new limited editions exclusive to global travel retail launching this November.

A full Travel Trail activation strategy will support the launch of the blended whisky across Asia travel retail in November and December.

Korean artist, Lee Sam Woong, who specialises in wood working, has been commissioned to produce a unique sculpture to reinforce the role of wood in whisky making.

The sculpture will be showcased in Korea’s Incheon Airport to drive consumer engagement and reinforce the role wood plays in the whisky making process. Once the activation finishes, it will be used as a prize in a lucky draw for Ballantine’s consumers.

The “Travel Trail” is the journey that each traveller embarks on from researching their trip to returning home. Pernod Ricard Travel Retail’s strategy spans pre-trip awareness through an extensive digital marketing campaign, in-airport activity, in-flight media advertising and hotel collaborations.

In Hong Kong, Korea Jeju International Airport, Korea Incheon Airport, Japan Haneda Airport, China Shanghai and Beijing Airport, Ballantine’s has staged brand spaces and pop-up activity where travellers will be taken through multi-sensory journeys.  Here, travellers will be given the opportunity to taste the limited edition and understand the influence of the wood maturation, and the role of oak in achieving a perfectly balanced blend of the original Ballantine’s 21 Year Old.

The artist-focused partnership comes the month after Ballantine’s announced a new Artist Series of limited edition bottle designs.