WORLD’S FIRST WHISKY INSPIRED 3D ART EXHIBITION HAS LANDED IN HEATHROW TERMINAL 5 

JOHNNIE WALKER^® BLUE LABEL^TM GALLERY lights up London Heathrow Airport and provides launch platform for the Travel Exclusive London Limited Edition Bottle 

DIAGEO Global Travel & Middle East (GTME), 13 DECEMBER 2013 – You will no doubt have heard of a message in a bottle but perhaps not a 3D art exhibition on a bottle. JOHNNIE WALKER^® BLUE LABEL^TM, the world’s leading ultra-premium Scotch whisky, has launched an immersive experience for travellers with the creation of its own art galleries with a difference, one of which is now being showcased in Heathrow’s Terminal 5. 

These creative gallery spaces, which are being installed in international airports worldwide, are designed to exhibit some of the world’s most talented and upcoming artists’ unique interpretations of ‘The Rare Blend’ and pay homage to the rarity and craftsmanship synonymous with JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE LABEL.  Exhibiting the artists’ remarkable work in the airport environment reflects the true and unique travel credentials of the brand.   To date, Johnnie Walker Blue Label Galleries have launched in Singapore Changi Airport and Miami International and this latest gallery in London’s Heathrow airport has been extremely well received by passengers, who have been enjoying exploring the space and discovering more about one of the world’s rarest whiskies. 

To celebrate the opening of the travel retail exhibition and in conjunction with World Duty Free Group, JOHNNIE WALKER has created 750 limited edition JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE LABEL bottles, etched with the London skyline in a rare gold liquid imprint. These will be available exclusively for purchase in World Duty Free stores in all Heathrow Terminals between now and the end of February 2014, covering the key purchasing periods of Christmas, the increase in Russian and Chinese flights in the New Year and Valentine’s Day. 

Commenting on the arrival of the new JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE LABEL Galleries, Paul Downing, Regional Director, GTME Key Accounts, Diageo said, “We are delighted to unveil this immersive art experience to Heathrow travellers.  The creation of this unique JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE LABEL Gallery in Heathrow airport reinforces our true commitment to the travel retail sector and to providing our customers with unique and innovative travel experiences and products.” 

Eugenio Andrades, Chief Commercial Officer at World Duty Free Group adds, “This exciting initiative demonstrates the strength of the relationship we have with Diageo and Heathrow.  We have worked in close collaboration with the brand and the airport, to help bring this experiential event to travellers visiting Terminal 5.  This is a very customer focused activity and we are delighted to be able to offer passengers the unique opportunity to sample one of the world’s most exceptional whiskies; JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE LABEL.  In addition, we have secured exclusivity on the exceptional London Limited Edition bottle, with its artistic interpretation of the London skyline making it the perfect product to gift, or to keep as a personal memento of a trip to this inspiring city!”   

Notes 

The JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE LABEL Gallery at London’s Heathrow Airport exhibits the exceptional work of Kai & Sunny and Shotopop, whose artwork is explained in more detail below: 

• Kai & Sunny

An artist duo based in London; they have exhibited internationally, collaborated with designers such as Alexander McQueen, and recently been acquired by the Victoria & Albert Museum print collection. Inspired by the rare character of JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE LABEL – Rich.Lingering. Intense – Kai &Sunny’s creation blends the whisky’s signature flavour with their signature line work. The result is a mesmerising animation where the simple becomes complex in an ever-changing cycle of smooth lines. A fitting tribute to a blend of the rarest whiskies.

• SHOTOPOP

A devout team of visual zealots who pride themselves on conjuring the new, the unimagined and the fantastical. In their offices, furiously snipping silver scissors give birth to a thousand paper feathers; crazy caffeine dreams turn into flashing pixel rainbows; and the most ambitious flights of fancy become their proudest moments.  Their bottle creation tells the story of the whisky making process, with the rare liquid within the cask re-imagined as a diamond. This analogy perfectly captures the rarity of JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE LABEL. And with a blend of painstakingly crafted paper sculptures and graphical illustrations, this piece perfectly showcases the multifaceted and complex nature of both gemstone and whisky.

About JOHNNIE WALKER® BLUE LABEL^TM

JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE LABEL is one of the pinnacle offerings from JOHNNIE WALKER.

Only sublime, rare whiskies at the pinnacle of perfection are used in the blending of JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE LABEL, with only 1 in 10,000 casks containing whisky of sufficient character to deliver its remarkably smooth signature taste. Each is hand selected by the JOHNNIE WALKER Master Blender himself, part of an unbroken lineage of Master Blenders stretching back over 190 years – it is the ultimate expression of whisky making today and an remarkable achievement for the modern era. 

Presented in individually numbered bottles, it is reminiscent of the 19th century style of whiskies. The Master Blender uses his decades of experience to select some of the rarest casks from the JOHNNIE WALKER reserves for their quality, character and flavour to create the powerful, complex, smooth character of JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE LABEL. 

JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE LABEL has a mellow, rounded nose, with a dry smokiness (a JOHNNIE WALKER signature flavour) mixing with raisin sweetness. It is best savoured with the palate cleansed and cooled by iced water. One sip reveals a velvety mouth-feel, then an explosion of flavour. At once you’ll discover hazelnuts, honey, rose petals, sherry and oranges. Subsequent sips reward you with more hidden secrets like kumquats, wispy aromatic smoke, sandalwood, tobacco, and dark chocolate. 

ABOUT DIAGEO

Diageo is the world’s leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, JεB, Buchanan’s, Windsor and Bushmills whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Baileys, Captain Morgan, Tanqueray and Guinness. 

Diageo is a global company, with its products sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people and its brands, visit http://www.diageo.com/. For Diageo’s global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit http://www.drinkiq.com/. 

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.

The JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE LABEL words and associated logos are trademarks © DIAGEO2013. 

ABOUT WORLD DUTY FREE GROUP

World Duty Free Group is one of the world’s leading travel retailers, operating mainly in airports and with a broad geographical reach. It has operations in 20 countries and 141 locations with over 550 stores, from its heartland in Western Europe, to the Americas, the Middle East and Asia.

World Duty Free Group’s core business is tax and duty free shopping and its proposition covers the complete spectrum of airport shopping including Beauty, Wines & Spirits, Food & Confectionery, Tobacco, Sunglasses, Watches & Jewellery and Souvenirs.

World Duty Free Group operates some of the most exciting and engaging airport shops in the world, with a strong focus on the customer and innovative marketing programmes, delivered through multi channel digital and live in-store interactive promotions.

World Duty Free S.p.A., holding company of WDFG, is listed on the Italian FTSE MIB 40 since 1 October 2013 with the ticker symbol WDF:IM. For more information, please visit http://www.worlddutyfreegroup.com/