What exactly do music, AI, NFT and a cognac brand have in common? We would have said, ‘nothing much’, but the latest collaboration between Rémy Martin and Usher – which has led to the Usher x Rémy Martin 1738: A Taste of Passion campaign, featuring a limited-edition bottle and NFT – has proven that just anything is possible.
Using AI and music to create the Usher x 1738 A.I. Powered
When Rémy Martin set out to work with “long-time collaborator”, Usher, on this special project, the general idea was to have the latter’s work physically present in the end product. How is it possible to have music physically present in cognac?
The short answer? Technology
The long answer? Usher was tasked with using his own musical vocabulary to describe his olfactory experience with the renowned 1738 Accord Royal, a smooth cognac characterized by notes of toasted bread, vanilla and brioche.
Working with an A.I. technology, known as Generative Adversarial Neural Networks and Contrastive Language-Image Pre-Training, his words were then transformed into artwork. The final design, which aptly embodies the harmony of music, technology and art, was then transferred to a reimagined 1738 Accord Royal bottle in black that features a special seal which celebrates Usher’s 25th anniversary of My Way, Usher’s breakthrough album that catapulted him into stardom.
“For nearly 300 years, excellence has been at the core of Rémy Martin, and through this partnership, we’ve reached an incredible milestone, where we see brilliance breakthrough at the intersection of art, fine cognac, and technology,” said Amaury Vinclet, Global Executive Director of Rémy Martin.
“…An artist at my core, … I leaned into the exemplary Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal that flowed through me and am so impressed by the visuals that came out of the A.I. process – they truly represent the medley of tasting notes captured in the flavour,” explains Usher of the process. “It’s rewarding to see those words translate to real-world artwork that my fans can engage with while bringing taste front-and-centre.”
A limited-edition bottle for a lucky few
Only 50 bottles have been created from this unique project. Of this number, 25 will be available to purchase exclusively on BlockBar, the world’s first direct-to-consumer NFT marketplace for luxury wines and spirits.
The drop will go live at 10 am EST on Friday, July 29 on a first come, first served basis. At a recommended retail price of $500, each NFT is available to purchase with ETH or credit card. At 10 am, the first users to reserve the bottle will then have 10 minutes to checkout. Users who successfully check out will receive an NFT proving ownership of the physical bottle, which is stored with BlockBar until the bottle owner is ready to redeem. The remaining 25 bottles will be gifted to Usher and his team.
Each NFT is uniquely marked, and each purchase comes with the option of keeping the NFT, reselling it on BlockBar.com’s marketplace, gifting it, or redeeming it for the physical bottle beginning in October 2022.
Usher x Rémy Martin 1738: A Taste of Passion campaign
What would happen to those who would be unable to purchase the Usher x 1738 A.I. Powered limited-edition bottles?
Thankfully, the partnership between the cognac brand and the musician goes way beyond the bottles. A Taste of Passion Experience will be holding live in Las Vegas, A.I. technology will once again be used to visually articulate the taste of the Usher x 1738 Accord Royal A.I. Powered offering.
The event, which will run on select nights from July 15 through October 29, will be a multi-sensory experience that nods to Usher’s illustrious career. To build on the splendour of the evening, attendees will savour an array of Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal cocktails specially curated by Rémy Martin and Usher, including The Rémy Roller, brimming with an effervescent blend of Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal, aromatic notes of ginger ale and Angostura bitters, and finished with a lemon wedge garnish.