The Official Vodka Of Coachella Merges IRL & The Virtual World With A One-Of-A-Kind Experience In The Met...

Photo Credit: Absolut

Get ready to deep-dive into the metaverse, Coachella-goers! As a way of celebrating its 10th year as the Official Vodka of Coachella, Absolut is extending the festival experience into the virtual world with Absolut.Land, a one-of-a-kind blended activation by a liquor brand at a live event.

Photo Credit: Absolut

Absolut.Land will feature innovative experiences inspired by the Swedish vodka brand’s products, heritage and passion points, including: 

• The Anti-Gravity Dance Floor ensures every entrance to Absolut.Land is grand. The gravity-defying mosh pit extends the length of the signature Absolut bottle facade, allowing fans to seamlessly flow from floor-to-floor. Avatars will embody the spirit of the festival grounds when they first walk into the Absolut.Land experience.
• The Absolut Bar is the heart of Absolut.Land and home to its resident bartender, this serves as the center of mixing the IRL with the metaverse. Fans near and far can find all they need to know at this central hub from the code-of-conduct and how-tos, to, of course, cocktails. 
• The Citron Media Room inspired by Absolut’s Citrus portfolio is colorfully designed to mix with others and get the download on the latest happenings from exclusive content in the Absolut Tent on the festival ground, to NFT wearables and highlights of the weekend. 
• The Garden is Absolut.Land’s open air space where fans can discover collectibles that hero the ingredients for the hero cocktails and hidden portals to other experiences within the immersive space. 
• The Museum Gallery, a nod to Absolut’s history in rich visual arts, Absolut.Land’s quiet sanctuary showcases Absolut iconic art through the decades. This is a moment for fans of Absolut’s past to engage with Absolut’s future.
• The Selfie Room, featuring a colorful backdrop inspired by Absolut’s iconic “BORN TO MIX” campaign, allows fans to capture their experience in the one of a kind experience and share their Absolut.Land experiences for a chance to win the ultimate Coachella NFT collectible. 
• The PRIDE Tunnel, fans can access the all-out rave paying homage to Absolut’s longtime involvement within and support of the LGBTQ+ community. 
• The Rainbow Rave, an all-out dance party, grounded by a disco-inspired dance floor and powered by PRIDE, celebrates the community and features music from LGBTQ+ artists. Consumers can share their dance moves on social for a chance to be surprise and delighted with Pride theme exclusive Absolut.Land wearables!
• The Outlook, the best view – where the possibilities are endless in Absolut.Land and so are the views. This is a moment for guests to see the size and scale of the Absolut.Land experience across the metaverse! 

Photo Credit: Absolut

On-the-ground festival goers can join the metaverse too by taking over the Absolut.Land bartender avatar at an interactive kiosk in the tent. IRL guests can mix virtual cocktails, chat up fellow avatars and surprise and delight by gifting NFT wearables all live. Absolut’s physical tent has been designed in parallel to its online counterpart with a geometric layout, bold color schemes, art installations, and content streamed from Absolut.Land.  

Photo Credit: Absolut

Plus, the power of Human Connections will unlock surprise moments like bottle collectibles hidden throughout the space, product promos and unique metaverse experiences. Over shared virtual drinks, festival-goers will have the chance to unlock one-of-a-kind avatar wearables from the cult-favorite, whimsical handbag and jewelry brand – Susan Alexandra – with the newly launched Susan Alexandra for Absolut Collection. Avatars within the space will also be able to seek out and access secret portals that just might “teleport” fans to Coachella Valley for an IRL VIP experience during the festival’s second weekend.

A CONVERSATION WITH SUSAN ALEXANDRIA FOUNDER SUSAN KORN

ABOUT HER VIRTUAL WEARABLES

Photo Credit: Absolut

What’s your take on the evolving digital fashion / NFT wearable space?

I expect the digital fashion and NFT wearable space to have a larger role and presence in the industry in the coming months and years. Fashion is always reflecting our current culture and conversation. We are in the midst of a technological evolution! I’m personally excited to see how each brand and the industry as a whole will continue to experiment, just wait until you see Absolut.Land. The digital space is another avenue for self expression so it’s natural for the art and fashion communities to be early adopters.

What are the challenges of creating in the digital fashion space?

Part of the design process focuses on materials – touch and feel, how it moves, sounds it might make, etc. While you lose those elements with digital design, you gain a lot more. Many of my IRL designs focus on intricate beading so through this project I’ve been able to expand my design prowess to meet the metaverse. If you can dream it, you can build it. It’s a canvas for bringing fantasy to life in some respect. The biggest challenge is not always being able to wear the designs IRL!

What was your inspiration for these designs?

Earrings: I love really engaging, fun earrings. This one has all the accouterments to a perfect Cosmo (the drink of summer) dangling from a giant, beaded grapefruit slice. It has movement and humor which is what I seek in all jewelry!

Shoe: I grew up with the iconic Absolut magazine ads and theshow design is my homage.
I wanted to make something fun and playful. This is something I would want to wear in the metaverse or to dinner in NYC.

Bag: I am so inspired by fruit-they’re a constant motif in my work. This was a total fantasy-an entire bag of beaded fruit slices with a dangly Absolut charm. My mouth is watering just looking at it!

Photo Credit: Absolut

What attracted you to working with Absolut?

I have always been inspired by how the brand constantly mixes things up and love how they are once again changing the game as Coachella returns through Absolut.Land. The brand ethos focuses on the power of social connections, which I really identify with. Fashion does that and of course, cocktails can do that as well. They bring people together. Coachella is known for its iconic looks on the festival grounds, so it was thrilling to bring that energy to a new space in the metaverse with Absolut.Land.

Did the vodka help to spur your creativity, and if so, how?

Definitely! The bottle (and the cocktails) were the purest inspiration behind these designs, along with the festival itself. I wanted to bring the brand’s trademark playfulness to life with the must-have items of the festival season – from the earrings to the shoes to the bag! Looking ahead to summer, I pulled inspiration from Absolut’s line of citrus flavors and brought those to life – Citron, Lime, Mandarin, Mango, Grapefruit, etc, you can see those elements within the designs!

Are there plans to create a physical collection in partnership with Absolut?

As of now, this collection will only exist in Absolut.Land, which makes it all the more special, honestly.

After 2 years of pandemic, any hot take predictions for Coachella fashion this year? What’s out, what’s in?

It’s been a long two years so fans are going to go above and beyond this year with big, bold and bright colors and designs. I expect elements of joy, celebration, some fluidity and likely some really over-the-top looks. I can’t wait. I will be refreshing the round-ups because I have no doubt that looks will be served – along with the cocktails.

Absolut also pays homage to its one-source Swedish heritage, partnering with headliner Swedish House Mafia amid their highly anticipated return to the festival stage after ten years. Dropping on April 15th, the supergroup’s newest album, Paradise Again, will be played on a custom jukebox within Absolut.Land. The album set the inspiration for the Absolut x Swedish House Mafia Paradise (Again) Paloma, which music and cocktail lovers alike can find in the metaverse, onsite at the festival or at home with a specialty cocktail kit available for a limited-time only. Fans cannot only grab a virtual drink, but also purchase this cocktail to be delivered right to their door, powered by one of the Absolut.Land vending machines. 

How To Make The Official Vodka Cocktail Of Coachella Cocktail, The Absolut X Swedish House Mafia Paradise (Again) Paloma

Photo Credit: Absolut Vodka

1.5 oz Absolut Grapefruit
1.5oz Ruby Grapefruit Juice
.25 oz Lime Juice
Top With Soda Water
Swedish Fish for garnish
Ice Cubes

How to Mix: Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a highball glass and top with soda water.
Serve with Swedish Fish gummy

“We wanted to mix with our fans in a way that’s really innovative and different, and what’s bigger than the metaverse,” said Swedish House Mafia – Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso. “When we hit the headline stage at the festival on Friday, you can also find us in Absolut.Land to listen and dance to our newly dropped Paradise Again album over the Swedish Paloma cocktail we created with Absolut.”

Photo Credit: Absolut

Purchase the kit HERE 

PLUS: SEE ALL THE ABSOLUTLAND VIRTUAL OUTFITS BELOW!

Photo Credit: Absolut Photo Credit: Absolut Photo Credit: Absolut Photo Credit: Absolut Photo Credit: Absolut Photo Credit: Absolut