An Ode to LA Pop Culture Through the Eyes of Young US Latinos
Artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming a staple in creative industries, yet despite its growing capabilities, it still has its limitations. Inherently curious and eager to experiment, ALTERED.LA embraces these boundaries, committed to delivering innovative solutions for content and commercial purposes. LBB’s April Summers hears how, for recent social-first campaign ‘The Heist’, this creative team leaned into AI’s limitations, utilising it as a strategic tool to launch Mexican beer brand LA BRU in the US.
ALTERED was introduced to the project by award-winning creative Michel Rothschild, enticed by the brand’s focus on speaking directly to Mexicans living in the U.S., rather than targeting the broader general or Hispanic markets. Seeing a great opportunity to make a difference and tell a bold story without the constraints of large clients, Michel set out to find the key players who could help execute the idea. Aware of ALTERED’s experimentation with new technology, their “make it happen” philosophy, and bicultural capabilities, Michel curated a specialist team to help LA BRU “create a buzz, get people talking, and put their brand on the map in the most impactful way.”
AI wasn’t just a tool for execution—it redefined how the teams approached storytelling, allowing Michel and ALTERED.LA to build a cohesive, platform-native campaign that truly resonated in a social-first world. In this eye opening and optimistic conversation, April speaks to Michel, as well as ALTERED.LA founder and EP, Marcos Cline-Márquez; strategy director, Luis Miranda; and LA BRU CEO, Juan Carlos Naranjo, about the influence of AI in brand marketing, its cost-effective benefits and how this campaign laid the foundation for long-term consumer loyalty.
LBB> Congrats on the campaign! Where did the idea for ‘The Heist’ come from and at what point in the process was the decision made to use AI to tell this story?
Juan> The idea came from the intersection of two worlds that define LA BRU’s identity: the magic of Mexico and the cinematic storytelling of Hollywood. We wanted to create a campaign that wasn’t just about launching a beer but about telling a story—one that captured excitement, intrigue, and a sense of adventure. The classic Hollywood heist narrative felt like the perfect way to introduce LA BRU to California, blending cultural authenticity with a universally thrilling concept.
The decision to use AI came early on in the creative process when we realised the scope of what we wanted to achieve. Producing a campaign with scenes spanning multiple locations across Mexico and Los Angeles would have required a massive budget, logistical complexity, and months of production. AI allowed us to bring this vision to life in a way that was not only cost-effective but also creatively limitless.
LBB> Michel, do you remember the original brief and your initial reaction to it?
Michel> I was introduced to Juan through a friend, and we quickly connected over the vision of bringing LA BRU to the U.S. What intrigued me most was Juan’s focus on speaking directly to Mexicans living in the U.S., rather than targeting the broader general or Hispanic markets. The brief they gave us was refreshingly straightforward: "We have one shot – how do we make it count?"
LBB> How did AI influence creative and strategic planning and execution?
Michel> AI played a key role in pitching this idea because it unlocked a level of production that was previously only accessible to big brands with massive marketing budgets. The creative approach for this campaign required flexibility. While I started with a clear story and concept, the path to bringing it to life evolved as we encountered unique challenges.
Early on, we realised maintaining character consistency would be a significant hurdle. On top of that, the campaign was built around a strict timeline, with each asset tied to a carefully planned rollout. To adapt, we made the LA BRU truck - rather than the driver - our main character, giving us creative freedom while staying true to the story.
The campaign itself was a thrilling nod to LA’s pop-culture-defining car chases, set against the backdrop of an epic heist on the streets of Los Angeles. Inspired by H.G. Wells’ ‘War of the Worlds’ broadcast (the one that made people think aliens were invading us) we crafted a narrative designed to grab attention and leave audiences buzzing.
LBB> Marcos, although you have produced AI projects before, this one feels different. What was it like working on an entirely social-first AI campaign, from ALTERED’s perspective?
Marcos> From the beginning we knew we had one shot and very little money to make it happen. We explored a number of different ideas and quickly discarded many of them due to time or budget constraints. This particular idea resonated with the client, but the only way to get it done in time and on budget was through the use of generative AI. This was going to mean a number of things, primarily that we could not be as demanding as we would be on a traditional shoot. It also meant we had to lean into the technology’s deficiencies at the moment.
What we loved about the idea is the multiple phases of the story telling. Starting with the truck travelling through Mexico, this phase allowed us to be a little more polished. It needed to feel like real video footage. For this to be believable we avoided people as much as possible, did a couple shots at night (it’s more forgiving), and kept the shots super short.
Phase two was when the truck got stolen in Los Angeles. This was also very forgiving because all of the videos were from security or dashcam cameras so the image quality was already expected to be less than that of a digital cinema camera.
A bit more complicated was Phase three: UGC style videos of people in and around Los Angeles spotting the truck. We were able to keep these looking real because this style of video has a lot of camera movement and they’re also very short.
The final video was a bit more challenging, but by then we had announced the project would be “The Magic of Mexico Meets the Magic of Hollywood” crafted entirely using AI.
I don’t think AI influenced the creative other than the nuances of working around some of the technology’s faults by centering our attention on other aspects, shortening the length of the shots, and making them more dynamic in certain phases.
LBB> An artisanal Mexican beer being introduced to the US market is the truest example of a bicultural brief. How did ALTERED’s bicultural roots inform this production?
Michel> The combined experience of our team - over 40 years in the Hispanic market - was a definite advantage. In addition to that, two of us grew up in Mexico, bringing a cultural sensitivity deeply rooted in Mexican heritage yet refined by our work here in the US.
To enhance the campaign further, we partnered with AIM and AI director, Pakko de la Torre, who also hails from Mexico, to develop the AI. Pakko’s background brought an additional layer of cultural awareness and authenticity to the project.
Marcos> I couldn’t agree more that this is the truest example of a bi-cultural brief! To be honest, I hadn’t even put that much thought into that part since it’s simply who we are. Still, as Michel said, the fact that we’re very Mexican and yet very American, and have spent much of our careers in the US. Hispanic Marketing definitely had an impact on this campaign.
For starters, Phase One needed to feel authentic. Meaning the architecture of the town where the truck was driving through as well as the wedding in the background, the churches, all of it had to look real. The same is true for Phase two, but in Los Angeles. Some of the first AI-generated videos simply didn’t land the classic Los Angeles single family home architecture!
Additionally, AI-generated Hispanic people still feel very uniform, lacking the diversity of the culture itself, so we fine-tuned the model by feeding it data and context about the specific region of Mexico we were targeting. This allowed the software to generate more nuanced characters, better reflecting the area’s unique cultural and aesthetic identity.
Our collective experience undoubtedly helped this campaign remain true to the locations and people, but also recognising the nostalgia that drives so much of the US Hispanic market consumption. As a whole, this campaign was an ode to LA pop culture through the eyes of young US Latinos.
Luis> From the offset, we grounded everything we did - strategically and tactically - in cultural authenticity and positive representation. Not just in honouring Mexican heritage and culture, but also in embracing diverse representation while avoiding negative stereotypes. This meant balancing traditional values with a modern perspective, reflecting a heritage that evolves with the times (in culture). In that sense, we dedicated significant effort and nuance to crafting prompts that taught the AI model to overcome the biases we identified by default. We also leveraged Spanglish (in-language) as a natural expression of bicultural identity—a bridge between worlds that feels true to how people live and communicate every day.
LBB> Controversy still surrounds AI and its uses – can you tell us some of the positives from your experience working with AI on this project? What did this experience teach you about working with AI?
Michel> AI became a magical gateway that allowed us to dream bigger than ever for this client. It expanded our creative horizons and pushed us to think about the concept on a much grander scale. Interestingly, one of AI's greatest strengths - its current limitations - became a creative asset. The constraints, such as challenges with character consistency, helped us focus and refine our vision for what to show and how to show it.
Marcos> When the ‘digital revolution’ happened, folks in traditional media freaked out thinking any kid was going to make a movie. The democratisation of content creation was going to sink the feature and TV industry. Instead, we got influencers. Now that we have AI and folks are saying ‘influencers are dead’ and continue to claim ‘features are dead’.
I believe a lot of things may happen, but as it pertains to advertising I think we’re entering a period not of democratisation of content creation, but of decentralisation of big ideas. The days where only big brands could afford big ideas are over and every single small, medium, and large company whose marketing budget may not have allowed them to invest in large productions can now achieve them!
I’m optimistic about the job creation possibilities here because they’ll still need a strong creative, strategy and execution team. One of the many controversies surrounding AI is the elimination of jobs, but by giving a larger number of companies the opportunity to execute big, bold ideas, you’re actually talking about a job creation opportunity for many. Let me be clear; if not for generative AI, this campaign would not have happened. And it helped pay the bills for a few folks.
Luis> Working with AI shattered the traditional linear process, elevating collaboration to a whole new level. It pushed us into a fully integrated way of working, where strategy, creativity, and production merged into one seamless flow. Boundaries dissolved as we moved back and forth—redefining strategy, reimagining ideas, and adapting to the unique possibilities and challenges of AI production in real-time.
LBB> What has the feedback been since the campaign went live? What are you most proud of about working on this project with LA BRU?
Juan> The response has been overwhelmingly positive, surpassing our initial expectations. Consumers loved the creativity and storytelling, appreciating how refreshing it was to see a beer brand launch with a compelling narrative rather than a traditional ad. This curiosity quickly translated into action, driving strong trial rates, increased retail sales and sustained social engagement.
The campaign also caught the attention of the industry, sparking interest from distributors and retailers impressed by our innovative approach. While AI in marketing can sometimes be met with skepticism, audiences were intrigued by how we used it to enhance, rather than replace, creativity. Perhaps the greatest indicator of success is that people weren’t just talking about LA BRU—they were actively seeking it out. This campaign didn’t just introduce a product; it created a movement around the brand, laying the foundation for long-term consumer loyalty.
Michel> The response has been incredible, with many people invested in following the journey of the craft brewery truck from Mexico. The launch party was a resounding success, drawing over 150 attendees, along with countless walk-ins from Northgate Market, where the beer is currently sold exclusively and where the party was held. We’re proud to have helped a small Mexican craft brewery, known for its exceptional products, make a bold entrance into the US market. This project also demonstrates how emerging technologies, when used strategically and creatively, can empower smaller brands to break through with engaging, impactful content that drives growth and builds awareness.
Marcos> The result has been amazing both on the consumer / audience front, the corporate level and, for us, as an AI Content Studio as well. We managed to create a phenomenal level of buzz at the hyper local level, selling out of beer at the release party and having folks still mentioning it on social media. This has left our client not just satisfied but asking what’s next! And it has generated numerous conversations with ad agencies and clients regarding how we can best help them achieve certain creative goals through the use of AI.
Luis> I’m thrilled with the campaign’s impact. It successfully met its main goal of building awareness for LA BRU, especially within the local community, and the results were immediate—even the beer sold out at the launch party. The organic response has been amazing, with people genuinely excited and engaged. We even received hundreds of messages about the LA BRU truck theft—it’s safe, but if it ever does go missing, we now know we’ve got an army of detectives ready to solve the case!
I’m most proud of three things: first, how we used AI in a fresh, multicultural way; second, the meaningful impact we achieved on a small budget; and third, the boldness of our team and client in stepping into new and uncharted territory.
LBB> And finally, in what ways does ‘The Heist’ campaign illustrate LA BRU’s identity as a brand?
Juan> The campaign is a direct reflection of who we are as a brand—authentic, unconventional, and deeply rooted in storytelling. LA BRU is not just about beer; it's about transporting people into an experience. The campaign did exactly that: it turned our brand launch into a mystery-filled adventure, where consumers weren’t just spectators but part of the unfolding story. By merging the cultural richness of Mexico with the cinematic thrill of a Hollywood-style narrative, we showcased LA BRU’s ability to bridge tradition and modernity, authenticity and innovation.
ALTERED.LA played a critical role in translating our vision into reality. Their expertise in creative storytelling and cutting-edge production methods helped us seamlessly integrate AI into the campaign. They understood our desire to push boundaries and crafted a visually engaging, interactive experience that resonated with audiences. Their ability to blend technology and narrative storytelling elevated our concept from a simple product launch to a cultural moment.
