Alcohol First Impressions: Doritos®️ x Empirical

One of the newest entries to the spirits market is the Empirical x Doritos^Ⓡ Nacho Cheese distilled spirit. 

But how well positioned is this new product launch to achieve its sales goals on Instacart? We analyzed the hero and carousel imagery for the new product against a benchmark of competitive images for the top 100 listings for the search term vodka to see how it compared to similar products.  

Hero Image 

The hero image for the Empirical x Doritos vodka racks up a moderate Vizit Score of 40.0. Why? The image represents some best practices for the category, including shooting on a plain white background and viewing the product from a front, central angle. 

However, there's potential for improvement in the image score through slight adjustments to the original design. Trends observed in high-performing hero images, such as a tighter horizontal crop and the addition of the bottle's size in the bottom right side of the image, could significantly enhance its appeal to online alcohol shoppers in the U.S.

The Image Carousel 

The top scoring carousel images in the vodka category fell into three categories: visuals depicting the origins of the liquor, visuals touting the taste, and visuals showcasing vodka cocktails and their recipes.

Empirical x Doritos showcases a set of carousel images that resonate well with U.S. alcohol shoppers. These visuals highlight the essence of the spirit’s flavor, featuring the bottle adorned with both the Empirical and Doritos logos, cocktails incorporating the Doritos chips, and images spotlighting the iconic Doritos snack.

The lower-scoring carousel images offer interesting insights. Online alcohol shoppers didn't quite resonate with visuals depicting the industrial production process of the Doritos-flavored drink, nor did they fancy images flaunting bulk portions of the beloved snack.

Final Thoughts 

So what’s the verdict on the Empirical x Doritos Nacho Cheese? With just a few minor adjustments to the image crop, the hero score could experience a notable boost.

The carousel images have a strong foundation. By replacing the lower-scoring images with visuals that better align with benchmark trends, Empirical and Doritos have the potential to significantly enhance the appeal of their carousel among U.S. Alcohol Shoppers.

Learn more about image best practices for your category with a personalized demo from Vizit.