How AR/VR Is Reinventing Drinks Marketing
With technology being at the forefront of consumers’ expectations, when it comes to marketing beverages, every consumer is looking for more than just a drinks menu. With Augmented Reality, the experience they have with their drinks can be made much more exciting, and this benefits not only consumers but brands and businesses as well.
Users typically view AR through their cell phones, which overlays 3D animation over what they see. More and more brands are using AR to reach today’s experience-obsessed consumers seeking novel, shareable ways to enjoy drinks and venues.
Tell your story
A brand’s backstory, history, or heritage is appealing to consumers since authenticity is valued. By using augmented reality, brands can tell their stories like never before, giving customers a personal, intimate experience with their brands.
According to a recent Statista report by the end of 2023, the AR/VR market will generate $160 billion in sales [1]. That’s a lot of stories. As a result, more than 30 million products are being marketed annually, including AR restaurant smart glasses and VR headsets.
Beverage applications
Treasury Wine Estates, (TWE) an Australian wine company, discovered the power of AR first-hand in 2017 when its 19 Crimes brand became the first to use VR on a wine label. The British ‘rogue characters’ featured on the labels of 19 Crimes come to life when a cell phone loaded with the brand’s AR app hovers over them.
In the U.S the AR campaign has helped the brand grow to 1.5 million cases, one of the most successful marketing activations in its history, according to the company. TWE has since expanded the use of AR across its portfolio, including Lindeman’s Gentleman’s Collection, Beringer Brothers, and Chateau St. Jean.
Projection mapping
Most AR experiences must still be viewed through a phone screen. What if AR didn’t require smart devices? Globally, this kind of experience is available with projection mapping. The AR animation is projected onto the table or bar without the use of a smartphone.
Sometimes the image is accompanied by a full multisensory experience similar to a 4DX movie, including sound, scent, airflow, and video. The goal of this new mixed reality is not only to entertain but to heighten the flavour of food or drink for the consumer.
Multisensory meals
One of the world’s most expensive restaurants, Ultraviolet in Shanghai, serves a 20-course multisensory meal with the intention of serving a dish at its peak in the most appropriate ambience suited to the dish.
By synchronizing audio-visual projection, scent diffusion, and perception control, UV creates an immersive environment that enhances what matters most, the taste of each dish. In Ultraviolet, for example, seafood courses include 360-degree videos of harbours, as well as scents and sounds of the ocean.
Experience rather than products
Recently, more and more businesses are entering the metaverse to provide their users with an immersive, personalized experience. Mega corporations have used AR and VR elements to bring things to life.
The main point of “Experiential Marketing” is to give potential buyers a chance to “Experience” the goods they purchase. Using VR restaurant headsets, Gunn Beer offers its consumers an interactive experience when they sample its beer.
In addition, Patron Tequila employs 360° virtual reality to display its production process. Chicago’s Baptiste and Bottle enabled customers to dine virtually anywhere using an AR and VR in-restaurant headset.
Drinks from the metaverse
Sold as the first-ever drink from the metaverse, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Byte has taken over the metaverse world. According to their marketing, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Byte will bring the flavour of pixels to life in a limited-edition beverage that transcends the digital and physical worlds.
In April 2022, Coca-Cola unveiled a new set of mini-games for consumers who purchased the Zero Sugar Byte package. With its inclusion in Fortnite, the user users can access the AR game by scanning the code on the Coca-Cola creations website.
As per recent data, by 2024 there will be an estimated 1.7 billion mobile augmented reality (AR) user devices worldwide, a rise of 1.5 billion from the 200 million seen in 2015 [2]. More interactive AR apps will no doubt be launched, as companies create new opportunities to engage consumers with augmented reality apps and multisensory experiences.
If you want to find the most interesting and recommended by guests restaurants, cafes, and bars in London and UK, you can join the Places App. Innovations in the restaurant industry are changing the market, and we are collecting the best food places around you in the App.
Sources
1. https://www.statista.com/statistics/591181/global-augmented-virtual-reality-market-size/
2. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1098630/global-mobile-augmented-reality-ar-users/
