Winning spree: Absolut takes pole position in the new age of marketing
Absolut has recently won several awards for digital campaigns such as an NFT collaboration with Seletti and the metaverse initiative Absolut Land.
We delved into the dynamics behind this success with Maxime Lamagat, Digital Marketing Director at The Absolut Group. He explained more about the recent awards success, how AI and other technologies can break new ground in the marketing sphere, and what he thinks could be the next tech trend.
Congratulations on winning awards for digital initiatives like Seletti x Absolut and Absolut Land. How does it feel?
As the Global Digital Marketing Director of The Absolut Group, I always feel extremely proud when I see the work done by our teams across the globe. This happened thanks to a collective effort of our teams, with a strong collaboration across the different functions and geographies. Recognition in the shape of awards is a good way to keep the team motivated and knowing we are on the right track.
What has been the key to your recent award success?
Collaboration has been key. When working on digital innovation, we need to explore many grey areas, which require us to both be able to test and learn to lower the risk and convince everyone that the risk is worth taking. Only when you are in this mindset of unity towards a breakthrough, you can move towards a better result.
“When working on digital innovation, we need to explore many grey areas, which require us to both be able to test and learn to lower the risk and convince everyone that the risk is worth taking.”
What type of opportunities do AI and similar technologies enable companies to create campaigns and exciting collaborations?
Our Canadian affiliate worked on a Generative AI campaign last year called “Mix Your Neighborhood”. The concept was to make cocktails from ingredients that represent a specific neighborhood, first in Canada and then abroad as a global campaign. This paves the way for a new era of creativity, where you can turn any concept into images in seconds. We will see a lot more AI in the coming years.
Do you think NFTs are here to stay, or was it just a temporary trend?
Like most new technologies, NFTs have suffered from excessive hype when initially released. What we are seeing now is just a low that contradicts the high one year ago. The question is whether NFTs will remain a niche or become mainstream. I would love to know that answer myself.
“The question is whether NFTs will remain a niche or become mainstream.”
What do you see as the next tech trend coming up?
– The use cases around generative AI will grow very quickly, so I expect to see more and more ramifications. The other tech that I see making a comeback is AR, as with the launch of Apple Vision Pro. It will get more attention again, and now that the technology is mature use cases start spreading out.
Can you share some advice with our readers on how to work with AI and NFTs in marketing?
Be bold. When working with new tech, the worst thing you can do is to do things in a ‘safe’ way. It usually removes most of the potential impact of such technologies. My other advice is to watch out for the hype. Any marketing activation needs to be consumer-centric and not tech-centric. If the tech brings value to consumers, it is worth exploring. If not, then it’s better to wait it out. The good news is that there will always be new tech coming.
Digital activation quoted in the article:
Italian Absolut Team – Seletti x Absolut BORN TO MIX3D
Absolut’s NFT campaign bridges reality with online experiences
US Absolut Team – Absolut Land
Canada Absolut Team – Mix Your Neighborhood
How Absolut uses AI to mix cocktails inspired by Canadian neighborhoods