Is AI-infused advertising hitting a new peak? With the buzz around generative artificial intelligence showing no signs of slowing down, creatives worldwide oscillate between excitement over its possibilities and concerns about being rendered obsolete—leaving many open questions. A new social media campaign by Jägermeister offers a glimpse into how a positive synergy between human creativity and technological advancement might look.

It’s no surprise that such an innovative campaign comes from the German liqueur producer. Years ago, the brand reinvented itself, moving away from its association with Jägerbombs and stag parties. Since then, it has built a reputation for creating some of the most viscerally engaging ad campaigns out there.

For their latest campaign, The Botanicals, Jägermeister chose to bypass traditional advertising agencies, instead collaborating with Berlin-based creatives Shaun Bass, Carmel Koster, Francesca Del Bono, and Noel Nicolaus. Their vision? To create a series of twelve original AI-powered avatars, each representing a key ingredient from Jägermeister’s legendary secret recipe.

We spoke with them about their backgrounds, their collaboration with Jägermeister, and their perspective on artificial intelligence.

Could you tell us a little about your background? How did your collaboration start?

Shaun: We all live in Berlin but come from diverse backgrounds and cultures. Carmel is from Estonia and I’m British, while Francesca and Noel are from Italy. What unites us is a strong passion for nightlife culture and digital aesthetics.

Francesca: In a sense, we all come from the internet. I first met Shaun on Tumblr before meeting him in real life. Noel and I began working together in 2017 as members of Clusterduck, a digital collective studying online subcultures, while at the same time, Shaun and Carmel were driving forces behind No Shade, which made a significant impact on Berlin’s nightlife and beyond.

Carmel: Event organizing and DJing really brought Shaun and me together—it was the core of our work for years. In a way, it’s also what connected us with Jägermeister, whose commitment to supporting nightlife and club culture felt truly genuine and unique.

Noel: Our collaboration is a great example of what you might call post-national culture—something that, to us, represents what Europe can and should be: a space where diverse identities can thrive and grow together. This idea is also central to the Botanicals project.

Can you tell us more about The Botanicals Project?

Francesca: Shaun invited us to collaborate on a new campaign he was developing for Jägermeister. As a creative, it was exciting to work with a brand that has such a strong heritage—there are so many elements to explore! The bottle, the logo, the history… Ultimately, we decided to focus on the product itself: the famous, mysterious recipe of 56 herbs and botanicals. Our challenge was to show its essence in an original and unexpected way. So, we decided to use AI to bring the ingredients to life.

Shaun: Nightlife was also a key element. Jägermeister has a deep-rooted commitment to authentic club culture—it’s part of their DNA. Their stag logo, inspired by St. Hubertus, the patron saint of hunters and guardian of forests, is very representative of this. You could say they’ve transitioned from protecting hunters to becoming patrons of nightlife—which is a good thing! Nightlife is struggling due to COVID, rising costs, and gentrification, with clubs shutting down across Europe.

Noel: That’s where the theme of diversity connects. Just like a great party, Jägermeister’s recipe relies on the right mix of ingredients. You need different, unique elements coming together to create something greater than the sum of its parts. That’s the magic we aimed to capture in the Botanicals project.

Can you explain the idea behind the characters?

Carmel: We didn’t want to create another set of digital influencers that siphon attention away from real creators. Instead, we focused on digital avatars with strong character design and immersive worldbuilding. We also drew inspiration from gaming and the performative use of social media in digital subcultures.

Francesca: To make the character design truly work, we had to give them life—believable personalities and backstories. Each character is therefore inspired by one of twelve key ingredients in the Jägermeister recipe, a personality archetype from Jungian psychology, and a corresponding astrological sign.

Shaun: We expanded the concept even further by incorporating soundscapes, playlists, textures, and custom cocktails. Our goal was to reflect the multi-sensory experience of clubbing. We also collaborated with talented designers to create a bespoke logotype for the project. The result is an experiment in speculative branding.

Why did you decide to use AI for this project?

Shaun: As creatives, AI is a technology we can’t ignore. Carmel and I had already created AI-driven content for Jägermeister that performed exceptionally well on social media. That success opened the door for the Botanicals campaign. It’s rare to find a client willing to invest in emerging technologies and experiment, so that was a huge motivation.

Francesca: We’re aware that generative AI is a complex and sometimes controversial tool. From the start, we were open about addressing these concerns. We agreed that we wanted to demonstrate how AI can augment human creativity rather than replace it.

Carmel: Many people think AI creation is as simple as typing a prompt. But while prompting is crucial, there’s an entire process behind it—research, iteration, and refinement. Writing the perfect prompt requires skill, which is why it’s called “prompt engineering.” And while generating a single image may seem easy, achieving consistency is still a challenge.

What role did your network play in bringing this project to life?

Francesca: As mentioned, while we are familiar with agency work, we come from unconventional backgrounds. It was natural for us to involve our network. Björn Heerßen, an incredible creative based in Berlin, played a key role in shaping the strategy and concept, especially in the initial phases of the project. French type designer Jules Durand developed the customized astrological symbols, while Jumoke Fernandez, a highly skilled AI synthographer, provided invaluable insights on prompting and character design.

Shaun: We also collaborated with talented artists like Lvis 1990, who crafted immersive soundscapes, and designer Sacha Giorgetti, who contributed to the logo and typography. The whole process felt more like an independent art project than a conventional corporate campaign, and that’s reflected in the final outcome.

What was Jägermeister’s role in the project?

Carmel: From the beginning, Jägermeister placed complete trust in our vision and gave us full creative freedom. As Shaun mentioned, the Botanicals project felt more like an artistic endeavor than a typical branded campaign. This was only possible because Jägermeister acted as patrons rather than clients, allowing us to experiment and push creative boundaries. Their passion for club culture and authentic artistic expression isn’t just posturing—it’s real.