UK: Diageo and Thinfilm unveil the “Smart Bottle”

UK-based alcoholic beverage firm Diageo and Norway's Thinfilm, a leading company in the development of printed electronics and smart systems, have announced that they are to unveil a"smart bottle" prototype for Johnnie Walker Blue Label Whiskey during the Mobile World Congress taking place in Barcelona in early March.

According to the companies, the new bottle will enhance the consumer experience by allowing Diageo to send  targeted messages including  offers, recipes and exclusive content to consumers who read printed sensor tags with their smartphones, both while shopping and post-purchase.

"Mobile technology is changing the way we live, and as a consumer brands company we want to embrace its power to deliver amazing new consumer experiences in the future”, Helen Michels  Global Innovation Director, Futures Team at Diageo, commented on the new product idea.

The companies went on to explain how, by using printed sensor tags featuring Thinfilm's OpenSense™  technology, the new “smart bottle” will allow Diageo to track bottle movements across the supply chain, in-store and to the point of consumption, with the sensor tags remaining readable even when the factory seal has been broken, providing an additional layer of security in protecting the authenticity of the product.

“By leveraging OpenSense™, Thinfilm is enabling the 'smart bottles' to carry digital information that can be accessed via NFC smartphones”, Davor Sutija, Thinfilm Chief Executive Officer added. “Diageo can reap the benefits of the intelligence gleaned from our smart sensors and create engaging experiences for its customers. This is how we will begin to build the real Internet of Everything”.

Source: Diageo