How Absolut uses AI to mix cocktails inspired by Canadian neighborhoods

We chatted with Caroline Begley, VP Marketing at Corby Spirit and Wine, to learn more about the initiative.

How did you come up with the idea for the “Mix Your Neighborhood” campaign?

Absolut has always been about mixing it up – whether that’s people, perspectives, or cocktails. Therefore, we wanted to create a hyperlocal campaign that embodied our global ‘Born to Mix’ platform, and it doesn’t get more local than neighborhoods. At the same time, AI is a topic dominating the headlines in the newspapers as well as social media, so we looked into opportunities to capitalize on the hype. That’s when we came up with the idea of developing AI cocktail visuals inspired by iconic Canadian neighborhoods – thus, ‘Mix Your Neighborhood’ was born.

What kind of response have you received so far?

The response has been brilliant! We are only a couple of weeks into the campaign, but the Canadian public, as well as Global media outlets, have responded really well, calling it creative, vibrant, and engaging. We also received over a thousand nominations from consumers looking to see their neighborhood turned into an Absolut cocktail mixed by AI. Given the incredible pick-up, we are looking at extending the campaign duration to add even more Canadian neighborhoods into the mix. We’ve also brought the surreal AI work into the real world by hosting an art exhibition in the heart of Toronto to showcase all of the wonderful neighborhoods we’ve designed to date.

To what extent do you foresee artificial intelligence playing a role in art creation and brand building in the future?

Artificial intelligence is still a new frontier for all of us and has sparked much debate. It raises questions about how to harness creativity while responsibly managing its impact. AI unlocks incredible visual potential and can be a powerful tool to push boundaries and bring an artistic vision to life. For example, several bartenders in the featured neighborhoods have started mixing their own drinks inspired by our cocktail visuals, making the surreal real. This campaign shows how AI can create something genuine whilst also engaging a local community at multiple levels.