Can you imagine getting your consumers to know their favourite beer’s story – the people, processes and place behind it all – even as they sip it? Beerscans, an augmented reality (AR) platform developed by Australia-based Third Aurora, uses smartphones to scan labels to project content back onto the can or bottle.

It helps consumers to bring their beer to life, as well as challenging them to unlock the story behind the beer, adding that “Wow!” factor and increasing the product’s popularity.

According to Dave Chaffey, founding partner of Third Aurora, Beerscans is a great fit for the craft beer industry. “This is all about delivering a great experience, one that’s a bit different,” he says, adding: “The AR is just incredible. You literally see jaws drop. It really captures the imagination!”

It can be made informative and entertaining, adding value to the product and the drinking experience alike.

While the focus is on the customer, a range of additional features make it hard to ignore the intriguing commercial opportunities. These include promotions, capturing sales, social media connection, and activation of all inventories.

QR codes are passé. The smartphone App uses image recognition technology to analyse the detail of cans and bottles – effectively identifying products by sight, the same way humans would.

“A business only has to upload one label for our system to learn, and then every identical label across the world activates. Whether it’s from the latest batch or an old bottle that’s been in a fridge for ten years, if the label looks the same, it is active,” Dave adds.

Third Aurora previously started offering a synonymous App, WineryTale, allowing wine producers to create, manage and market an AR experience to consumers via smartphone-scannable labels.

The WineryTale platform seeks to boost sales and connect wineries with the new generation of tech-savvy wine lovers. The App has inspired more than 500 wineries across the globe into employing futuristic marketing trials. (https://thirdaurora.com/)