Ireland’s ARI Goes Global With New ‘Joy’ Holiday Campaign

An eye-catching video promotion from ARI at Faro Airport in Portugal.

Aer Rianta International

Ahead of the holidays, Irish travel retailer Aer Rianta International (ARI) has sharpened its ‘joy’ brand strategy—first launched in 2023—with a new campaign: ‘Joy Awaits.’

Two years ago, ARI introduced the original ‘Joy on Your Way’ brand identity as a strategic move that underpinned the global travel retailer’s growth plans. ARI said at the time that the new approach delivered “clarity, cohesion and consistency” across all its brand activities, helping to align both internal and customer-facing perceptions of the brand.

This was important as the travel retailer operates worldwide, from airports in Canada and the Caribbean, to Cyprus and Saudi Arabia. The company even appointed a dedicated chief joy ambassador to underline its commitment.

For this season, ARI has doubled down: the industry pioneer that opened the world’s first duty-free store at Shannon Airport in 1947, has introduced a global seasonal campaign, developed in-house. It encourages passengers to “give the gift of joy” while shopping or browsing online. Social media initiatives on Instagram and TikTok, and in-airport activities, have the dual role of ensuring passengers come into the stores.

Sarah Jane Lynch, ARI’s global head of marketing, commented: “Year-round, our teams are focused on delivering joy to passengers, but this campaign really elevates that experience. The festive season is one of the busiest times for retail and for travel.” Alongside the purchasing push, ARI is also highlighting its always-on value-for-money cues. “This ensures our seasonal messaging complements our value proposition,” added Lynch.

What’s on where?

As passenger traffic starts to ramp up in the coming weeks before Christmas, the ‘Joy Awaits’ campaign is being staged at key locations where ARI—the retail arm of state-owned daa (Dublin Airport Authority)—operates. For example, across its Portuguese duty-free stores, customers will see vintage-inspired décor with Taste of Portugal pre-packed gift packs highlighted.

At Larnaca Airport in Cyprus, the post-security/immigration decompression zone has been transformed into a winter wonderland ahead of passengers’ even entering the ARI store. And at ARI’s home base of Dublin Airport, the new campaign is being executed airport-wide to deliver a holistic experience that touches every aspect of the passenger journey.

In several major gateways where ARI is a core retailer, including Montréal–Trudeau International Airport, the retailer is leveraging experiential tactics such as Instagrammable photo ops and curated gifting packs. At the Quebec hub, Canadian brands and products can be bought pre-packaged or in a build-your-own format. Select locations will also have special tastings, sampling, face painting, and visits from Santa Claus.

ARI has travel retail operations in almost 30 airports in 13 countries, including Dublin and Cork in Ireland; six Canadian gateways; Barbados in the Caribbean; Larnaca and Paphos in Cyprus; Beirut in Lebanon; Podgorica and Tivat in Montenegro; Riyadh, Muscat, Bahrain, Delhi, Jakarta, and Abu Dhabi across the Middle East and Asia; and eight airport locations in Portugal.

Beyond retail, ARI also holds a 20% stake in Düsseldorf Airport and an 11% stake in Hermes Airports, which owns and operates Larnaca and Paphos airports in Cyprus.

The revamp of the Portuguese stores is expected to help deliver extra growth for ARI in 2025, especially in the build-up to Christmas. ARI had a record 2024, achieving solid 13% revenue growth, with managed turnover topping €1.4 billion ($1.52 billion*). This was despite ongoing conflicts and consumer cost of living challenges.

Cyprus Duty Free saw record sales despite growing geopolitical tensions in the region, while Aer Rianta International Middle East also performed strongly, with Bahrain Duty Free, Muscat Duty Free, and Ahlan Avenue in Riyadh delivering robust results in terms of managed turnover. ARI was not immune to 2024’s challenges as its operations at Beirut Duty Free were suspended for a period due to the Israel-Gaza conflict.

* $ conversion at the average FX rate for 2024, €1 = $1.08