Patrón Tequila serves AI-generated cocktails for National Margarita Day

Dive Brief:

Patrón Tequila launched an artificial intelligence (AI) art generator that crafts personalized images of Patron Margaritas ahead of National Margarita Day on Feb. 22, according to a press release. The effort also features a tie-up with music star Becky G.
Using the AI tool, coined the Patrón Dream Margarita Generator, consumers can list their dream destination, favorite ingredient and garnish of choice to receive a custom margarita image. Those who share the creation on Twitter or Instagram Stories now through Feb. 24 will be entered to win two tickets to a Becky G concert in New York City.
The effort follows other recent marketing plays by the spirit brand centered around emerging trends and arrives amid a resurgence of advertiser curiosity for AI following the rise of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Dive Insight:

It goes without saying that AI is having a moment. The technology has risen as one of advertising’s buzziest talking points, mostly recently credited to the rise of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, inspiring a slew of marketers to explore its potential. Ahead of Patrón, recent activations have come from brands like Snapple and Ryan Reynolds’ Mint Mobile, which used the tech to script one of its commercials.

Meant to build hype for National Margarita Day, Patrón’s Dream Margarita Generator supposedly creates an image of the perfect margarita for consumers who note their ideal cocktail preferences via the brand’s microsite. The site also requires users to list their name and email address, in a play for valuable first-party consumer data. Those who share their results on Twitter or Instagram Stories tagging the brand and the hashtags #PatronDreamMargarita and #PatronSweepstakes will later receive a direct message from Patrón with a link that can be used to finalize entry into a sweepstakes for the chance to win tickets to Becky G’s New York show. The prize also covers hotel and transportation expenses.

Patrón often focuses on emerging trends for its marketing efforts. For example, the brand last year teamed up with BlockBar.com to release its first NFT, which could be purchased in exchange for ownership of a physical bottle of Chairman’s Reserve. As interest in the metaverse grew, it also launched its own pop-up Decentraland experience that featured cocktail-themed quests and explorable virtual venues.

Beyond brand activations, AI is also gaining traction in the agency space. For example, DDB developed The Uncreative Agency, an AI-powered tool that drafts creative proposals using a one-sentence brief. Procter & Gamble brand chief Marc Pritchard also used his keynote at the Association of National Advertisers Media Conference last week to speak to the technology’s ability to improve ad effectiveness.