Heineken strives to ‘Ignite’ innovation with first ever interactive beer bottle
Heineken this week unveiled its first ever interactive beer bottle at the Milan Design Fair, as it seeks to inspire ‘new memorable brand experiences’ via design, technology and innovation.
The ‘Ignite’ bottle stems from Heineken’s ‘latest mobile innovation concept’, and the brewer claims it breaks new ground by inspiring mobile devotees to connect with the brand via beer bottles rather than smart phones.
Revealing the 200 ‘Ignite’ prototypes this Tuesday as part of its Milanese ‘Lounge of the Future’ installation, Heineken said it recognized that the best user experiences “tap into existing behaviour, and push technology into
the background”.
Take a sip, the bottle sparks
The bottle was able to interact with other Ignite bottles, its environment and people, “bringing together interaction, data and networking thinking”.
Thus, the bottle incorporates micro sensors and wireless networking to detect when drinkers say ‘Cheers’ and activates 8 LED lights, it sparks when they take a sip, and the lights ‘dance’ in response to a DJ’s musical cues.
As this rather slick video – featuring Heineken-drinking nightclub revellers, whose bottles nonetheless seem curiously full by the time it ends – shows, the brand tags the bottle as an interactive way ‘to reignite your night
out’.
