Page 34 - Packaging News Magazine Mar-Apr 2021

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ACTIVE & INTELLIGENT | www.packagingnews.com.au | March-April 2021
AR set to transform the user experience
AI technology’s impact on the packaging sector can already be felt, with
many turning to it for automation and to make processes easier, but what Aof AR and its applications for innovating the user experience? By Jan Arreza.
UGMENTED Reality (AR) in packag- Having launched at the start of 2020 ing has given brands the boost with over 100 well-known wine needed to make their products brands in the mix, the platform offers stand out on shelf, helping them consumers a new way to experience build better relationships and loy- wine by delivering an authentic look alty among their customer base, at some of the most loved wines which in turn has transformed sev- around the world.
eral implemented marketing Dave Chaffey, Winerytale manag-
LEFT: Changing the user the experience one product at a time.
ABOVE: With the Winerytale app, all you have to do is scan the labels to unlock the brand narrative.
app technology occurred with Victorian wineries in early 2019, with the second phase that followed launch- ing it globally.
The Winerytale app is designed to work on any wine label and uses AI to scan and recognise labels, and AR to showcase whatever information the brand wants to by beaming it from an imaginary space inside the bottle.
“The platform that is running it is quite powerful too and quite easy for winemakers to edit – it’s just like posting something on Facebook,” added Chaffey.
“Andthebestpart,onceawinemaker finishes editing the information on their end, it then updates all the bottles in circulation all around the world as everything is managed in real-time.”
The application for this type of technology is quite far-reaching in terms of industries, and consumers with a thirst for this experience will soon be able to do the same with their favourite beers and soft drinks.
“We’ve had rave reviews from the wine producers and from the consum- ers that have seen it, but we haven’t hit that critical mass yet, and that is where we want to be heading,” explained Chaffey.
“Outside of the wine side of things, we are moving into a few other indus- tries, with beers next on the agenda, followed by looking at opportunities within general FMCG packaging and in pharmaceuticals.”
The technology is geared for wide- spread adoption and opens up many exciting opportunities, especially for beverage manufacturers, considering the AR feature can be placed on any bottle, can or container without the need for QR codes or some type of special packaging. ■
strategies.
Though varied over the years, the
application of AR allows brands to better cater to their audience by pro- viding a customised user experience and increasing the effectiveness of marketing efforts.
An example of this is the possibility for brand owners to use AR to deliver extra information about their prod- ucts not already on the packaging.
One company running with this AR innovation is Winerytale, developer of a next-gen smartphone app that lets shoppers scan labels on wine bottles to discover more about the stories and the people behind the product.
ing director, believes there are enough apps in the market to provide wine ratings and expert opinions, but there is no real platform for storytell- ing, and that is the gap his company aims to fill.
“From the consumer’s point of view, every time they get a new bottle of wine they haven’t tried before, they can see the story behind it and the journey it took to make it,” said Chaffey.
“This is a real opportunity for winemakers to really connect with their audience, and we’re delighted to have so many pioneering brands on-board for the launch.”
The first round of field-testing for the