Dive Brief:

• Liqueur brand Hpnotiq is appealing to younger consumers with the launch of its metaverse space, the #Hpnoverse, according to a press release. Users must be of legal drinking age to enter the space.
• Included in the activation are drink recipes, immersive experiences and an augmented reality (AR) camera. Virtually hosted by rapper Guapdad 4000, #Hpnoverse will give away 4,000 non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as well as real-world prizes, like free concert tickets.
• The move includes an out-of-home (OOH) element with the addition of a QR code scavenger hunt challenge in New York City and Atlanta to earn additional exclusive NFTs. The activation could help promote the Heaven Hill Brands liqueur to Gen Z consumers and market it as an at-home offering.

Dive Insight:

Hpnotiq, the liqueur known for its bright blue color, is often a staple in nightlife venues, though the brand may be looking to get out from behind the bar and into the homes of consumers as pandemic-spurred at-home drinking is seemingly here to stay. The Gen Z-targeted push may also help attract a new wave of drinkers, many of whom have recently reached the legal drinking age.

Designed for mobile devices, the #Hpnoverse features an AR camera that allows users to place virtual Hpnotiq-themed items — like a blue skyscraper, a Hpnotiq bottle and a gummy worm-embellished cocktail — within their homes. In a play by the brand to collect first-party data, users who share their email will automatically win a free NFT and be entered to win additional NFTs and real-world prizes. Playing off a partnership with Guapdad 4000, the activation will disperse 4,000 NFTs in total.

In an OOH extension, users in New York City and Atlanta can search for scannable QR codes that unlock one-of-a-kind NFTs. Exclusive NFTs include digital images of the #Hpnoverse Skyline, a Hpno + Cognac plaque, alluding to the liqueur’s use of cognac in its mix, a renaissance Hpno statue and an image featuring the brand’s name spelled with a “Y,” a playful poke at a common misspelling.

Hpnotiq is distributed by Kentucky-based Heaven Hill Brands, which bills itself as the nation’s largest independent, family-owned spirits producer and marketer and the world’s second-largest holder of Kentucky bourbon. As inflation soars and economic woes persist, now might be an ample time to push such offerings. Spirits is the only alcohol category to see a price decrease as of late, and despite economic troubles, spending on alcohol doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.

Other alcohol brands have also taken to the metaverse recently. In March, tequila brand Jose Cuervo announced plans for what it coined as the first metaverse distillery, which lives on the popular metaverse platform Decentraland. In a similar move, Heineken claimed to have created the world’s first virtual beer within the metaverse, also available on Decentraland via its virtual brewery.