Beam Suntory has used AR technology as a part of a new smartphone based experience for customers.
Beam Suntory, the bourbon maker, has now launched a new augmented reality experience that has been designed to show its customers how its bourbon is made, in a new, interesting, and innovative way.
The company is now using the BlippAR app as a part of its “The Bourbon Revival” retail program.
This program and the augmented reality experience are available to customers at liquor stores, featuring the Knob Creek, Maker’s 46, and Basil Hayden bourbons. According to the Beam Suntory senior director of commercial marketing, Michelle Cater, “The liquor store is a saturated environment, so we need to truly stand out in order to reach new consumers and educate shoppers on bourbon.”
This augmented reality experience has been created to work with any smartphone, regardless of operating system.
Cater stated that “Based on our research, we know that new bourbon drinkers are eager to learn more about what makes bourbon unique. With augmented reality technology, we are able to engage shoppers in an immersive and interesting way.” This particular The Bourbon Revival promotion requires the BlippAR free app to be downloaded by people who wish to participate and view the AR features.
Once the app has been installed, the AR technology codes that are posted on bourbon bottles and retail displays can be scanned. The mobile app them launches the 3D content that will appear on the user’s device screen, displayed overtop of the user’s actual environment. This makes it possible for the user to be able to interact with the bottle and create hologram-like versions of recipes and cocktails that are based on the product that they have scanned.
The primary goal of this augmented reality experience is to work as an introduction for the consumer to the different bourbons from Beam Suntory. This AR technology based experience also allows users to be able to understand the history of bourbon, learn how it is made, and to know the difference between this drink and whiskey. In fact, it even provides a “Bourbon Matchmaker” feature, which matches an individual’s own flavor and drinking preferences with the bourbon that they are likely to enjoy the most.
