AB InBev Introduces Light-Up Bottles for Tequila-Infused Beer

If a tequila-infused beer isn’t enough to excite your senses, Anheuser-Busch is hoping its packaging will. Using smart label technology and LED lights, the company has started rolling out limited edition bottles for its Oculto brand that include illuminated labels.

Here’s how the labels work: When you’re holding a bottle, your thumb activates a pressure-sensitive switch. The switch turns on LED lights that shine through the mask illustration on the label.

The original Oculto bottles, which debuted in March, featured labeling with discoverable elements such as hidden messages that appear when the beer is cold, said Oculto senior brand director Mallika Monteiro. When scanned, the bottles also connect to a geotargeted Web application called Relics of the Night that lets users interact with the brand digitally and win prizes by doing things like sharing photos.

“Oculto’s unique positioning and social nature inspired both the illuminated bottle and the Relics of the Night digital activation to further bring to life the personality of the beer,” Monteiro told Adweek. “Adding Relics of the Night takes the interaction with the Oculto bottle from a purely physical interaction to a digital one, highlighting the social nature of the brand.”

Oculto is the first brand in the AB InBev family to utilize Internet of Things technology. Monteiro declined to say whether plans are in the works to use similar technology on more prominent labels—like Budweiser.

  Alcohol, Anheuser-Busch, Beverage, Bottle, LED Label, Oculto, Packaging, Technology