Diageo launches Generative AI experience

Diageo brand Johnnie Walker has launched a Generative AI-powered experience that allows consumers to co-design a personalised bottle of the blended Scotch whisky.

Held at the brand’s Edinburgh Princes Street tourism site, it invites guests to discover Johnnie Walker x Scott Naismith, a Generative AI-powered experience which allows guests to co-design a personalised bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label.

Only available at this site, the experience is set to run from August 1-31 2024, and aims to combine Scotch whisky, art and artificial intelligence.

The experience prompts visitors to answer three simple questions that will influence key themes in Scottish artist Scott Naismith’s work, which will then impact the bottle design.

Through the prompts there will be a generating of various colours, locations, artistic styles and times of the day, which will result in a unique bottle that is then printed immediately. Those who were looking to purchase a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label at the retail store through August will be able to access the experience across the month.

The bottle design element can be undertaken at no additional cost with a bookable expert-led tasting of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, as well as a guided tasting of the limited edition Johnnie Walker Blue Label ‘Elusive Umami’ in the facility’s rooftop Explorers’ Bothy bar.

Project Halo

The experience is powered by Project Halo, a Diageo innovation that allows brands and consumers to co-create personalised label designs/product artwork.

The technology, which is powered by Generative AI, enables consumers to co-create designs on Diageo products in a way that is bespoke to them, and aims to be “relevant to the worlds they are passionate about”, the brand said.

The team behind the AI said that it was “actively looking for partners to collaborate with to test and learn breakthrough ideas”.

So far, Diageo has teamed up with Phantom, Amazon AWS, Hybrid Software, GMG and Roland DG as part of the Project Halo programme.

Domanda

Will Harvey, senior global innovation manager at Diageo, said that the demand for personalisation “shows no signs of slowing down”, which explained the reasoning behind the current AI-enabled designs.

He said: “With Johnnie Walker Princes Street’s previous experience of using AI to enhance customer experiences, it’s the perfect place for us to launch this innovative offer to the world.”

Rob Maxwell, head of Johnnie Walker Princes Street, said that since the site had opened it had “become a leader” in using the power of AI to personalise guests’ experiences.

He said: “Johnnie Walker x Scott Naismith is an exciting new step in our commitment to offering those with various tastes and interests something completely different from what’s available in the whisky experience market.

“This partnership is a true one-of-a-kind, and we can’t wait to see the designs our guests will print on their bottles.”