***Correction [7/15/2020]: A previous version of the article incorrectly referenced J. Walter Thompson SF as being involved in the development of Snoop Cali Red and Tactic in the recruitment of Snoop Dogg. The article has since been corrected.
It’s not exactly gin and juice, but it’ll have to do.
As a world-renowned rapper, song-writer, actor, producer, filmmaker, TV personality, and philanthropist, Snoop Dogg isn’t afraid of exploring uncharted territory. This is especially true when it comes to bleeding-edge technology. Over the past few years the prolific entrepreneur has transitioned into a bona fide venture capitalist, investing in numerous tech-focused operations and co-founding his own venture firm.
Combining his love for the finer things in life with his passion for technology, California-based innovation studio Tactic today announced a new addition to its ongoing series of AR-powered “Living Wine Labels” featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg himself.
Developed as part of an immersive campaign for Treasury Wine Estates, each bottle of Tactic’s “19 Crimes” red wine features an augmented reality-enhanced label that—when scanned with the official 19 Crimes companion app—tells the story of one of several historical outlaw banished to an English Penal colony that would eventually become Australia.
Sticking to its theme of rebellious rule-breakers, California-based agency Cashmere reached out to Snoop Dogg and his team to see if he would be interested in becoming the face of their next Living Wine Label. Citing his appreciation for 19 Crimes’ embrace of modern technology, Mr. Dogg agreed to participate. Similar to past 19 Crimes animations, Snoop’s AR rendition was brought to life by creating a CGI avatar using numerous photographs.
“The big idea was actually moving from historic figures – Irish convicts that were banished to Australia – to a contemporary personality,” said John Wardley, 19 Crimes Marketing Vice President, in an official release. “This came straight out of the brand values – anti-authority/rule breaking/culture creation and redemption. We realized these values are timeless and when we put a contemporary lens on them, the first person we thought of was Snoop.”
“So, we were determined to get a partnership with him. Fortunately, Snoop also liked the 19 Crimes brand, and respected that we were the very first wine to bring the label to life through augmented reality. The idea of Cali Red was born – 19 Crimes’ first California-sourced wine with a true California icon front and center on the label.”
Using their smartphones, users can scan the label to reveal an AR speech by the legend himself as he delivers some powerful words of wisdom with a level of cool only Snoop Dogg can obtain.
“When 19 Crimes began to conceive of the partnership with Snoop Dogg, they naturally engaged with us early to help shape how to bring it to life,” added Tactic President Peter Oberdorfer. “And we jumped at the opportunity to collaborate, especially once we saw the label designs.”
Snoop Cali Red is available now at select locations. You can use the official 19 Crimes store locator to find find the nearest provider. Download the Living Wine Label app free on iOS and Android to activate the AR-enhanced labels.
Image Credit: Mark Owens
