Whisky with a Personalized AI Twist — and What it Means for Packaging's Future

Diageo recently harnessed the power of generative AI to give its Johnnie Walker whisky customers a packaging personalization experience — and Scotch whisky tourism experience — unlike any other.

Dubbed Johnnie Walker x Scott Naismith to reflect the collaboration with Scottish artist, fans of the legendary Scotch whisky shelled out £240 (around $310 in current USD) to co-create personalized label designs/product artwork for bottles of Johnnie Walker Blue Label with bespoke label artwork. The artwork hinged on their responses to three questions reflective of key themes in Naismith’s work that helped generate various colors, locations, artistic styles, and times of day. The AI output resulted in unique bottle designs that were printed in a matter of minutes.

The experience, both virtual and real, was powered by Project Halo, a Diageo innovation powered by generative AI, and took place during the month of August at Johnnie Walker Princes Street, an Edinburgh, Scotland whisky “tourism experience” event space the company opened in 2021.

Diageo's innovation guru dishes about breaking boundaries.

In a reflective interview with Packaging Digest, Diageo’s Guy Middleton, global breakthrough innovation director, characterized the takeaways from the experience as overwhelmingly positive. “People were drawn to Halo because it offered something different; they felt like they were purchasing more than just a bottle, it was like buying a piece of art,” he said. “The feedback made it clear that personalization is something people desire, and that demand will only continue to grow, and through Halo we can meet and exceed these needs.”

This Johnnie Walker x Scott Naismith experience underscored Diageo’s commitment to compelling, next-gen packaging ideas. It was the latest in a string of creative packaging innovations that have set an ambitious example for spirit packaging possibilities.  

Middeton said the company's packaging innovations stem from a ‘test and learn’ mindset and a focus on four key areas shaping the future of celebrations: sustainability, wellness, digital and experiential, and luxury and premiumization: "It's about more than just keeping up with trends — we're always thinking ahead while being thoughtful about the changes we introduce.”

Earlier this year, Diageo launched its Breakthrough Innovation team, as part of the company’s broader Innovation function. “This team is designed to push the boundaries of what’s possible [and] ideas like the Johnnie Walker paper bottle and Project Halo are direct results of this approach,” he explained. “It's forward-thinking leadership, but it’s also about meeting sustainability goals and staying ahead in a competitive market.”

The team's mission includes actively looking for collaborative partners, including technology experts. For ProjectHalo, the company partnered with Phantom, Amazon AWS, Hybrid Software, GMG, and Roland DG; and leveraged the latest generative AI tools using Amazon’s Titan bedrock model, which reportedly ensures the ethical protection of artists' work while allowing consumers to co-create bespoke art experiences.

“It’s crucial for us to push the envelope with packaging because we’re shaping the future of how people socialize all around the world. That means we have to be smart about innovation across different formats,” Middleton said. “We rely on data and technology to stay ahead of consumer trends — not just for today, but for what’s coming tomorrow and beyond. This approach influences everything, from how we package our products to the experiences we create.”

He added that beyond introducing new products and tastes, the company seeks to push boundaries, craft unique experiences, and even create new business models. “It’s about creating things that both our existing and future consumers will love while driving sustainable growth for Diageo in the long run.”