Heineken introduces a beer bottle that lights up when drinking

When one drinks, when the right music is playing and when one “cheers” to celebrate, igNITE will glow with a beam of light through one’s beer bottle. With igNITE, Heineken^® offers a fun and interactive way to put oneself in the spotlight.

The South African party-set got to experience igNITE first-hand at an epic music event staged as part of the new “Open Your City” campaign. The Warm Up, Maboneng glowed green when the revolutionally technology was released to the crowds. At the event, a specially designed Heineken^® dance track was played, which activated all the igNITE bottles in the venue, making them flash in time with the beat of the music.

“Heineken^®’s drive is to consistently be at the forefront of innovation and improve the beer experience for our consumers. A team of carefully selected specialists from within and beyond the organisation were put on a mission to create a pioneering Heineken^® experience.The result is Heineken^®’s first smart beer bottle that can interact with other Ignite bottles, its environment and the people around it. It enriches social experiences using the bottle and technology in a surprising way and making high tech feel fun, organic and seamless,” explains Tjeerd Veldhuis, marketing manager, Heineken^® South Africa.

The technology behind the ‘smart’ bottle is a 3D-printed housing that attaches to the bottom and hides the electronic components. These attachments comprise eight LED lights, an 8-bit microprocessor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a battery, and a wireless network transceiver with antenna – all fitted to a small circuit board. The LEDs are arranged facing upwards to illuminate the entire bottle when triggered and lit. Although the technology is state-of-the-art, the consumer only experiences the fun.

Watch the Heineken^® igNITE story here.