ABSOLUT
Absolut.Land
Output: Global Brand Strategy
Completed: at United Entertainment Group
As the official Vodka of Coachella, ABSOLUT needed an impactful activation at the 2022 festival that would help drive brand relevance amongst its target audience in an authentic and buzz worthy way.
Awards: 2023 Shorty Awards Finalist | Webby Nominated
Press: Forbes / The Wall Street Journal
The Challenge
After a two year hiatus due to the pandemic, Coachella was making its triumphant return bringing with it a festival ground saturated with brands, who like ABSOLUT, were eagerly waiting to capture the attention of consumers in-person once again.
The Strategic Approach
ABSOLUT’s brand mission was to help their audience break outside of their tribe and mix up their friend groups.
As digital spaces were becoming more dynamic, we saw that consumers were increasingly participating in the metaverse to connect with others who shared their values, have conversations, tell stories and co-create.
Our creative approach centered on reimagining the way we mix by encouraging brand lovers to discover new social circles in a metaverse where ABSOLUT brings Coachella to everyone - those at the festival and at home.
The Work
As a brand born to mix, every touchpoint of the activation was inspired by Absolut’s products, heritage and passion to “unlock human connections.” From the moment you step into Absolut.Land you are met with the façade of the famous Absolut bottle, with every part of the experience designed to embody the spirit of the festival grounds.
We debuted ABSOLUT’s first voyage into the Metaverse by mixing the IRL and virtual experience through the creation of Absolut.Land. For the first time in Coachella’s history we brought the outside world in to the festival
1. The Absolut Bar served as the center of mixing the IRL experience with the metaverse. Festival-goers in the physical world could jump in and become the bartender in the digital experience through kiosks place Absolut tent on-site. We further tied in the product by allowing attendees to order real cocktail kits sent to to their homes.
2. An anti-gravy dance floor allowed fans to seamlessly flow between four floors where fans could access the museum gallery to explore the brand’s rich history in visual arts and the rooftop where they could meet up with other avatars and connect to the jukebox to stream their favorite songs.
3. By interacting and participating in the space, users could unlock surprise moments with hidden bottle collectables, product promotions and unique experiences.
4. Over shared virtual drinks, festival go-ers also had the chance to unlock over 3,000 wearables, including one-of-a kind articles from cult-favorite whimsical handbag and jewelry brand Susan Alexandra for the Absolut collection.
The Impact
Absolut.Land successfully centered the brand at the catalyst of human connection while reigniting affinity amongst current brand lovers and capturing the attention of new ones.
Over 21,000 avatars from over 100 countries entered the metaverse activation during both weekends of the festival
260,000 visitors attended the on-site festival activation
600 attendees lined up before Absolut.Land opened, anticipating the launch of the experience
Absolut.Land is one of ABSOLUT’s most successful campaigns to date
5. Music also played a big role in the experience, with visitors able to hear and watch a livestream of headliner Swedish House Mafia’s latest album Paradise Again, and virtually sip on a specially-created Paradise Paloma cocktail to celebrate the brand’s return to the festival stage after 10 years.
“We had no idea if anyone was even going to show up, but we got such a good response… It exceeded all of our expectations about what the experience was..and from what we heard there isn’t any other experience like it.”