A bottle of wine might be the perfect complement to the evening’s dinner or even dessert. Perhaps uncorking that bottle is simply a relaxing way to unwind while watching a movie, snuggling by the fireplace or while enjoying an evening with friends.
Before popping that cork, take a good look at that wine bottle because its label could be hiding a few fun secrets. Augmented reality wine bottles are a new trend among wineries. These labels can be embedded with different stories, mysteries and adventures to transform a simple bottle into a uniquely entertaining and, perhaps, intoxicatingly creative experience.
The Wine Bottle is now the Entertainment
While a glass or two of wine might accompany dinner or a social night of fun, modern wine labels are now becoming part of the social experience. Who needs game nights when the bottle becomes the evening’s entertainment!
Augmented wine labels can be crafted with almost any experience. The winery can create an adventure that highlights its personal history, a mascot or just something out of the ordinary. But how do these labels work?
Augmented reality wine labels come to life with a smartphone or a tablet. Like most augmented reality experiences, the phone’s camera operates the experience. The wine label will usually be linked to an app. To immerse in augmented reality, an affiliated app needs to be downloaded.
Currently, multiple wineries offer their own interactive augmented reality apps, several brands also are associated with the Living Wine Label app, and more than 500 brands are linked to the app Winerytale. Among those offering their own apps include Phantom Wine, Rabble Wine Company, CHAR NO. 3, Sonoma County Sustainable Wine, Mensa Wine, Zilzie Wines, and Campo Viejo. App selection may vary per Google Play or the App Store.
When enjoying a glass of a winery’s vintage, use the app to interact with the bottle’s label. This will open up the augmented reality experience.
Living Wine Label
The Living Wine Label app features custom augmented reality experiences for many different brands. Participating brands with the Living Wine Label app include: 19 Crimes, Gentleman’s Collection, Embrazen, Beringer Bros., The Walking Dead, (Dr. Henry John) Lindeman’s, Matua, Château St. Jean, and Beringer Main & Vine.
Each brand offers its own unique experience. For example, labels from 19 Crimes let users participate in a trial (actually, they have to defend themselves on trial!) and they can find out more about those numerous crimes. There’s also an appearance by Snoop Dogg!
Popping open Lindeman’s? Use the label to unlock tips from Dr. Henry John Lindeman. He gives sage advice about being a gentleman.
Embrazen wine labels open up the stories of ‘Embrazen’ women. Hear about their accomplishments and how they left their mark.
The Rabble label features a comet destroying Florence. When using the winery’s augmented reality app, this moment in time comes to life.
Winerytale
Perhaps the largest augmented reality app available is Winerytale, which hosts experiences for more than 500 brands, including Adams County Winery, AK Wines Blank Canvas, Clyde Park Vineyard, First Drop Wines, Inkwell Wines, Moose and Goose Winery and many, many more.
Wine aficionados who are looking for an interactive experience via a label might try this app first. Again, hundreds of brands (and wineries) offer experiences via Winerytale.
Phantom Wines
Phantom Wines offers an augmented reality experience via their label that actually involves different stories. Users can scan the label (via the Phantom Wines app) and then dare to experience the tales of the phantom.
Are All Wine Labels Interactive?
While many brands are using augmented reality to add more depth to their vintages in the form of stories and entertainment, not every winery, label or brand offers augmented reality.
However, the label might be the best clue as to any hidden adventures. Labels could note that there are augmented reality experiences that can be unlocked and how to enjoy these experiences.
Sip and Enjoy Adventures
Interactive augmented reality wine labels can integrate into the social experience. Those hosting parties, dinners or other events with friends may encourage guests to download the label app and play games or other experiences.
However, these interactive labels also could just be fun entertainment at home. Sip some wine, open the app, scan the label and check out cool adventures.
Brands and wineries are getting in on the social experience…beyond just the uncorking and sipping of their vintages. Not only do augmented reality experiences serve as a source of entertainment, but they encourage individuals to interact with the brand, to learn more and maybe to explore other products.
Will Labels and Other Products Augment Reality?
The concept of an interactive wine label could possibly reach over into other products. Cereal boxes and packaging may already include QR codes that bring up websites to play games or enjoy other experiences.
Could more augmented reality experiences be featured in packaging? Will cans of soft drink link to apps to open augmented reality experiences? Actually, interactive soft drink cans already existed! Pepsi Max cans opened up soccer experiences when the cans were scanned by smartphones; the promotional packaging was tied to the World Cup (back in 2016).
And Coke transformed its cans into a jukebox in partnership with Spotify! Coke fans could enjoy free music from Spotify using the Blippar app.
The demand for augmented reality may push other industries to include these types of experiences. And augmented reality or other types of interactive experience could greatly benefit the brand. Metal Packaging Europe reported that for Pepsi Max, the user engagement was nearly three minutes (per user!) and there were millions of interactions!
Augmented Reality Restaurants
Restaurants also included augmented reality into packaging. For example, Pizza Hut boxes will be printed with a Pac-Man game design. When users scan the QR code on the box, an augmented reality Pac-Man game comes alive! Yes, the pizza box becomes an arcade!
McDonald’s has released many augmented reality experiences around the globe. In Canada, the #BringHalloweenHome campaign lets users knock on a yellow door to open up experiences and, of course, a McDelivery offer. The campaign was launched during the pandemic as more people were ordering delivery services.
Happy Meal packaging also opened up augmented reality experiences. The boxes featured characters from Dreamworks movies like How to Train Your Dragon 2. The experiences included interactive games with the characters.
Augmented Reality Experiences All Around!
Consumers should keep their eyes peeled for new augmented reality experiences affiliated with products or even restaurant packaging. These experiences could be hiding on labels, boxes or cans. To find them, look closely at packaging! Brands aren’t shy about including details!
Augmented reality has become a reality in many consumer experiences. This interactive technology has the ability to change the way consumers shop…and even how they drive.
Many brands and stores offer interactive try-on features. These are popular for cosmetics brands and stores that want to provide a way for online shoppers to preview colors and products when they can’t try them in the store.
Even hunting for the perfect palette of paint colors for the home can now be demystified thanks to augmented reality. Brands like Sherwin-Williams and Home Depot provide homeowners with an augmented reality paint color preview. The colors literally appear on the wall!
This can be incredibly helpful for homeowners who don’t know what this might look best in a room. Or if the paint shade will clash with the color themes of the room. Sometimes paint looks different in the can than it does on the wall; augmented reality helps decipher those colors!
Augmented reality also changes the drive to work, the store or anywhere! Navigation features in cars often feature augmented reality. Gridlines that are overlaid on top of the rear backdrop from reverse cameras are a type of augmented reality. So are GPS apps that show the real world and add in directional arrows or other digitized graphic data.
Even shopping for a car can include augmented reality. For example, RelayCars lets car buyers preview a car in both 3D imagery and augmented reality. With RelayCars, different car models can be dropped in the real world environment. Preview a car in the backyard. Or maybe just the garage.
Augmented reality is yet another way brands, companies and stores can offer up unique ways to provide an immersive customer experience. With augmented reality wine labels and other packaging, games, mystery stories and other entertainment can be included in the product.
In this way, the product takes on a new life. Not only can customers enjoy pizza or wine, they can open up games and play on top of packaging. Or explore the details of the brand. Augmented reality can take the mystery out of a purchase…and this is definitely a good thing for consumers on the fence about a paint color, lipstick tint or even a pair of eyeglasses.
Augmented reality packing and experiences are nothing new. But could more brands include these hidden experiences within the packaging? Consumers might want to keep their eyes on those labels…because augmented reality might be lurking!