The world-renowned cognac maker Remy Martin is teaming up with award-winning music artist Usher for an NFT drop. The campaign is titled “The Usher x Rémy Martin 1738: A Taste of Passion” and will be exclusively available on Blockbar. The unique project features a limited-edition bottle of Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal with a label designed by artificial intelligence technology. Only 50 bottles will be produced, adding an extra layer of exclusivity to the drop.
A.I. Art Powered by Words
What makes the artwork so unique is the way it was created. In an ad campaign for the release, Usher is heard describing the taste of the cognac as “A beautiful melody… an assortment of warm … and spicy notes that dance in harmony.” That description was then entered into an A.I. process known as Generative Adversarial Neural Networks and Contrastive Language-Image Pre-Training. The result is the unique imagery seen on the bottle. As Usher states, they made the invisible visible.
In addition to the limited edition label art, the bottle bears a special symbol that serves as a nod to the 25th anniversary of Usher’s breakout album My Way. As an extra special bonus, 25 purchasers of the bottles were invited to see Usher in concert during his tour in Las Vegas. Users could purchase the NFT directly on the Blockbar website and be redeemed later for the physical bottle and event invitation.
This is not the first time Remy martin and Usher have partnered together. In 2021 the duo launched “Team up for Excellence Film,” which highlighted the connection between American music and cognac. The short film celebrates two cultural entities and honors their history. It was lauded by music and cognac fans alike for its production, musicality, and representation.
Liquor Brands Experiment With Web3
Blockbar is a platform created to be a direct-to-consumer NFT marketplace for luxury wines and spirits. They are no strangers to launching NFT drops. Their client list includes brands such as 1800 Tequila, Patron, Dewars, and more. Users can purchase exclusive NFT drops using Ethereum on the blockchain. Block Bar then handles storing the bottle and ensures its proven authenticity. This opens up a new marketplace for buying, selling, and investing in high-end liquor.
Another notable release happened in April 2022 when whiskey distiller Monkey Shoulder partnered with Bored Ape Yacht Club to release 100 limited edition bottles. The partnership allowed Bored Ape holders to enter a lottery to have a bottle designed with their NFT on the label. Afterward, Monkey Shoulder created a run of 1500 bottles featuring their Bored Ape on the title. Additional perks included invitations to private parties in Miami.
These collaborations show the inventive ways brands integrate physical experiences with digital ones. The Bored Ape community has done a particularly great job finding ways to engage its NFT holders in actual events. This is likely just the beginning for many such partnerships to emerge.
