FDBusiness.com

Thinfilm Electronics has partnered with Constantia Flexibles to deliver pressure-sensitive labels utilising Thinfilm’s OpenSense near-field communication (NFC) technology to leading brands within the beverage industry.

The labels will be used in both consumer engagement and mobile marketing applications and, as part of the partnership, Thinfilm has received a “six-figure unit order” from Constantia for the OpenSense technology.

The partners are now working closely to create key manufacturing and application processes for incorporating OpenSense into wine, spirit, and beverage labels as well as flexible packaging for consumer packaged goods, Thinfilm said.

NFC OpenSense tags are thin, flexible labels that can detect both a product’s “factory sealed” and “opened” states and wirelessly communicate contextual content to consumers with the tap of an NFC-enabled smartphone. Each tag is uniquely identifiable and, when combined with a custom app and cloud-based software, enables item-level communication. In addition, the tags remain active even after a product’s factory seal has been broken, empowering brands to engage in consumer dialogue that extends beyond the point-of-sale and continues throughout the product’s lifetime, including the opportunity to repurchase.

Constantia Flexibles Label Division executive vice-president Mike Henry said: ”Constantia Flexibles is excited to help bring Thinfilm’s NFC OpenSense technology to the label marketplace. We have been collaborating with Thinfilm for over a year and are convinced our companies share an innovative DNA that will lead to real market differentiation.”

Thinfilm CEO Davor Sutija said: “We are very pleased to be partnering with one of the premier flexible packaging and label firms in the industry. We look forward to leveraging Constantia Flexibles’ expertise in order to optimise processes for the integration of NFC OpenSense into packaging and make this powerful technology accessible to their clients.”