The prestige of the PATRÓN Tequila portfolio is epitomized at Heathrow Terminal 5 this autumn, with the ‘EXPERIENCIA PATRÓN’, an iconic, high-octane pop-up consumer experience.

Bacardi Global Travel Retail (GTR) has partnered with Dufry, JC Decaux and Heathrow Airport to create a four-month celebration of PATRÓN Tequila, the world’s number one super-premium tequila and the Tequila leader in travel retail (figures reported by IWSR 2021).

Running from September-December 2022, this is a major investment in establishing the brand with British consumers as Sam Pickard, Regional Director, Europe, Bacardi Global Travel Retail explains: “We are thrilled to be showcasing PATRÓN Tequila in this immersive brand experience, here at Heathrow, one of the top performing tequila locations in GTR. It has been fantastic to partner with Dufry, Heathrow Airport and JC Decaux, as we push the boundaries on what great looks like in consumer engagement. Heathrow T5 is the perfect location to pioneer the potential of the super-premium Tequila category with British and international consumers and to reconfirm PATRON Tequila as the global category leader.”

Creating a head-turning moment on the traveler journey through Terminal 5 is a core objective of the installation as Ignacio Vazquez Global Head of Marketing, Bacardi Global Travel Retail explains, “We are immensely proud of how this elegant, organic space intrigues and invites curiosity from travelers as they step inside to discover the story of passion, tireless dedication to perfection and the lengths we go to in creating every bottle of PATRÓN Tequila. This multi-layered experience elevates and beautifully showcases how PATRÓN Tequila is passionately handcrafted and dedicated to achieving perfection in every drop, by masterfully combining select natural ingredients to create a unique portfolio of super-premium and ultra-premium tequilas.

“Ahead of the immersive physical experience in the airport, we are connecting with consumers through targeted digital media to drive consideration in the pre-travel stage. The ‘Experiencia Patrón’ is the epitome of Bacardi’s vision for this new era of travel retail.”

The latest prestige innovation launch, PATRÓN en LALIQUE: Serie 3 is given centre-stage, with an eye-catching display inspired by LALIQUE’s impressive crystal craftsmanship, featuring crystalline white shards against dramatic black, in contrast with the warm colors of the PATRÓN Tequila core brand packaging around it. The shared narrative of authenticity, craft and connoisseurship across PATRÓN Tequila and LALIQUE is explained in footage on a large screen. LALIQUE bottles are presented, museum style, in a glass vitrine display, with QR codes guiding consumers to the dedicated discovery website that LALIQUE has set up. Interactive elements here, as elsewhere on the stand, offer brand stories through AR technology.

The Terminal 5 pop-up design features a timeless yet contemporary structure of pale latticework, inspired by the shape and texture of the piña of the agave plant, curving around the brand displays, with a golden PATRÓN Tequila bee logo hovering over them, to the rear. The significance of the piña pattern reflects how PATRÓN Tequila cuts close to the heart of the agave plant to ensure only the sweetest part of the agave is used in the making of

PATRÓN Tequila. Stone textures create a front ‘driveway’ for the entrance, while agave and hedge planters placed around the front of the pop-up encourage travelers to come in and make themselves at home.

Devised to attract, engage and then convert both existing and new PATRÓN Tequila consumers, the space includes a dedicated bartender ready to offer elevated cocktails so visitors can experience for themselves the versatility of the extensive PATRÓN Tequila range in prestige cocktail making. As they sip, QR codes at the cocktail bar direct consumers to pages where they can enrich their product knowledge via their phones.

At the centre of the pop-up is a contoured display stand celebrating the storytelling elements of the PATRÓN Tequila brand with seven beautifully illustrated, printed cards taking consumers through its creation from agave plant harvesting to bottle design.

A digital screen transports visitors to a tour of the PATRÓN Tequila Hacienda brand home in Jalisco, Mexico. Meanwhile a QR code leads to content showcasing how PATRÓN is still one of the few brands that makes tequila by hand – passionately handcrafted by our familia with our artisanal, handcrafted production process to achieve perfection in every drop.

This level of attention is reflected at the dedicated gifting station located on one side of the pop-up. Here shoppers have the opportunity for their purchases to be gift wrapped by hand and finished with a colorful ribbon from a selection echoing the colors of the core PATRÓN Tequila portfolio. A bee-shaped card is available for customers to write their own personal messages.

Over its four-month duration, the campaign will feature key seasonal themes including Día de Muertos in November and the run up to the holidays season in December. A dedicated omnichannel media campaign is designed to maximize consumer reach across each stage of the travel journey to drive brand consideration and conversion. This includes digital out of home screens on the Terminal 5 concourse and in the British Airways Lounges, with programmatic and social media driving data collection for post engagement. There is also a chance for consumers to win a 5 night stay in a 5-star hotel resort on the Mexican Riviera.

PATRÓN EN LALIQUE: Serie 3

PATRÓN en LALIQUE: Serie 3 showcases true art through a mutual devotion to handcrafted detail and a tireless dedication to perfection. While the liquid is a remarkable blend of rare extra añejo tequilas, the design of the crystal decanter, created by Marc Larminaux, LALIQUE’s Artistic and Creative Director, is an artistic interpretation of the agave plant. PATRÓN en LALIQUE: Serie 3 tells the story of where PATRÓN Tequila is sourced and crafted and falls in line with the timeless theme of nature.

For this release, PATRÓN Tequila Master Distiller David Rodriguez and his team masterfully curated a blend of extra añejo tequilas that is so rare, it can never be replicated. 14 different tequilas each aged for up to 8 years in French and American oak casks were hand selected and combined to create PATRÓN en LALIQUE: Serie 3. The liquid is marked by its crystalline color and sweet and smooth taste featuring hints of spices, dried fruits, sherry wine and intense wood.

Each decanter is handmade and individually numbered at LALIQUE’s factory in Wingen-sur-Moder, in Alsace, France by a team of expert glassmakers through modern and traditional techniques.