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This Moodie BLOG comes to you from the lounge at Frankfurt Airport, 7 hours into a unique travel retail journey from New York JFK Airport to Singapore Changi.
I’m travelling with the Pernod Ricard Asia travel retail team, Managing Director Alexandre Ricard and two of his senior team, Patrick Castanier and Gloria Song. And one other very important ‘passenger’ – the first bottle of the exquisite new Chivas Regal 25yo, launched in great style at the New York Public Library on Friday night.
The new ultra-premium line then made its retail debut at JFK on Saturday, including a formal unveiling at the DFS Group store in T4. The first bottle was formally handed over by Pernod Ricard Americas Travel Retail boss Christophe Lemarié to Alexandre Ricard to take to Changi (via a 22-hour flight) for Monday’s Asia launch there (a regional exclusive initially for DFS).
The Moodie Report has been asked to chronicle both launches and to accompany the team – and its newest baby – on this incredible journey. So on Saturday morning, with Gloria (above) holding the key to ensure Alexandre and I did not open the bottle during the journey while we discussed the likely World Cup Rugby quarter-final match between The All Blacks and France, I duly began perhaps my most unusual assignment in two decades of travel retail.
It’s time for Alex Ricard (pictured at Frankfurt) and his travelling cohorts, to board. Next we’ll bring you pictures of the launch in Changi. They’re calling our plane and the four of us… sorry, five of us… must continue our incredible journey.
martin;
I can think of no other individual in the world of travel retail more uniquely qualified for this assignment than you!
congratulations and I hope everything and everybody made it to Singapore safely and in one piece.
David Tillman
Hi!!!
We are here in Changi Airport eagerly waiting for the first bottle to arrive : )