Since the inauguration of the new Terminal 3 at Frankfurt Airport (FRA), its owner and operator, Fraport, has stepped up its approach to customer experience (CX). A new Jägermeister pop-up, soft-opened at the end of June, exemplifies how an integrated strategy can drive more passenger interaction—and ultimately sales—at the €4 billion terminal.

In the concourse of T3’s Pier J—where higher-spending passengers on non-Schengen long-haul flights depart—the well-known premium herbal liqueur Jägermeister is now present with facing shop spaces either side of the travelator at the pier entrance.

The two spaces belong to Media Frankfurt, are operated by Frankfurt Airport Retail (FAR), the joint venture between Fraport and travel retailer Gebr. Heinemann, and will feature Jägermeister for at least a year. This tripartite activity is expected to give the pop-up extra leverage in terms of profile and traction. How?

As a first-of-its-kind dual pop-up, Media Frankfurt’s giant digital screens in the landside check-in hall direct passengers to it. Teasers such as ‘Travel to Jägerland’, ‘1 world exclusive’, and ‘Pier J… see you before take-off’ encourage passengers to find the pop-up. Once in departures, two more large screens that are impossible to miss, continue the engagement.

Making the Most of the Passenger Journey

The multi-stage media presence ensures continuous brand visibility, and it seems to be working. In the first two weeks of the pop-up’s opening, 10,000 shots were served while passengers got a history lesson about Jägermeister’s unique heritage—from a vinegar maker to a global herbal liqueur spirits brand rooted in Germany. This is the Destination Meister component on one side.

On the other side, called Destination Jäger, consumers can have a bit of fun with AI-powered motion-photo activities. They can instantly appear on giant in-store digital screens as astronauts, rappers and explorers in vividly coloured Jägermeister worlds (with the imagery to keep via email), as well as buy Jägermeister products, from limited editions to branded merchandise, including its Frankfurt City Label, which is exclusive to the airport. This is the brand’s first fully immersive airport activation, combining retail, storytelling and digital interaction.

FAR’s Managing Director Karl Grünewaldt comments: “Terminal 3 provides the ideal setting for strong brand partnerships that enhance the passenger experience. The Jägermeister activation supports our ambition to create a high-quality and engaging retail environment.” Mast-Jägermeister Vice-President of Global Travel Retail, Tobias Witte, adds: “This is where retail meets brand experience: it has stopping power and consumer engagement at its heart.”

Proof of Concept

As this is the first time Media Frankfurt’s T3 pop-up spaces in Pier J have been occupied, all parties will closely analyse the data to establish proof of concept. But in a highly competitive commercial environment, more well-coordinated, multi-partner activations that can create connections with international travellers are likely to come to the fore.

They combine strong visibility and a path to purchase with a distinctive brand experience—and in the case of Pier J also achieve high footfall from high-spending travellers. T3’s total current capacity is 19 million passengers per year, but the three-pier terminal (G, H, J) is still ramping up, having only opened in late April. Much of the traffic will use Pier J and depart on high-volume flights. A future second phase could take the terminal’s capacity up to 25 million with a fourth pier.

Non-Star Alliance airlines that were in Terminal 2—now shut for a major mid-2030s revamp costing €1.5 billion—have moved to the new terminal, which is on the other side of the airport and connected by the SkyLine train service. Among them were major long-haul carriers including Delta Air Lines, Korean Air, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, Saudia and Vietnam Airlines. Condor, the second-largest airline at FRA after Lufthansa, will also move from T1 to T3 in summer 2027.