Food Engineering logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Engineering logo
  • NEWS
    • Latest Headlines
    • Manufacturing News
    • People & Industry News
    • Plant Openings
    • Recalls
    • Regulatory Watch
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Plant Products
    • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
    • Alternative Protein
    • Automation
    • Cannabis
    • Cleaning | Sanitation
    • Fabulous Food Plants
    • Food Safety
    • Maintenance Strategies
    • OEE
    • Packaging
    • Sustainability
    • More
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Plant Construction Survey
    • Plant of the Year
    • Sustainable Plant of the Year
    • State of Food Manufacturing
    • Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies
  • MEDIA
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • FOOD MASTER
  • EVENTS
    • Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo
    • Industry Events
  • RESOURCES
    • eNewsletter
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • FE Store
    • Government Links
    • Industry Associations
    • Market Research
    • Classified Ads
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issue
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Packaging

Food Packaging

Packaging Technology: The smart bottle

Mobile technology on packaging becomes a tool for manufacturers to protect their products and communicate personalized messages directly to consumers.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label

The Johnnie Walker Blue Label smart bottle prototype is equipped with a printed sensor tag featuring Thinfilm OpenSense technology. Source: Diageo.

June 12, 2015
A few years ago, quick response codes became a huge advertising tool and were placed on many products to promote brands for smartphone-carrying consumers. However, some manufacturers found the QR codes were difficult to read and easy to copy. To overcome these issues, the global beverage company Diageo is introducing the smart bottle.

The company unveiled a prototype of the Johnnie Walker Blue Label that is equipped with a printed sensor tag featuring Thinfilm OpenSense technology.  Thinfilm’s proprietary, patent-pending OpenSense technology utilizes near field communication (NFC). The tag, which sticks to the side of the bottle and extends to the cap, can detect if a bottle is sealed or open with the tap of an NFC-enabled mobile device.

“We constantly experiment with the latest cutting-edge technologies to enrich and enhance the experiences delivered by our iconic brands,” says Helen Michels, global innovation director for Diageo. “Our collaboration with Thinfilm allows us to explore all the amazing, new possibilities enabled by smart bottles for consumers, retailers and our own business, and it sets the bar for technology innovation in the drinks industry.”

The technology allows Diageo to track bottle movements across the supply chain, in stores and to the point of consumption, with the sensor tags remaining readable even when the factory seal has been broken. OpenSense can also address brand protection and security, product authentication, anti-counterfeiting and grey market diversion applications.

To ensure authenticity, the tags are completely and permanently encoded at the point of manufacture and cannot be copied or electronically modified. Additionally, customers who read the tags with their smartphones can get a direct message from Diageo.

“Thinfilm OpenSense tags are dynamic in that the messaging associated with them can be tailored to the individual item level,” says Bill Cummings, vice president of marketing and communications at Thinfilm Electronics. “Sensors are also integrated into the tags, and the sensor data can be a primary driver of the messaging/content that is delivered to a person’s smartphone when he or she taps a product with an OpenSense tag.”

With the Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Diageo can deliver content such as cocktail recipes for spirits, meal pairings, promotional offers and other marketing messages.

“Mobile technology is changing the way we live, and as a consumer brands company, we want to embrace its power,” says Michels.


For more information: Bill Cummings, 408-503-7312, bill.cummings@thinfilm.no, www.thinfilm.no.

KEYWORDS: food packaging technology

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Global Organic Food & Beverage Market to Grow

    Global Organic Food & Beverage Market to Grow

    With a CAGR of 12.07%, Bonafide Research estimates this...
    Latest headlines
  • skilled MEP worker

    Predicting Food and Beverage Manufacturing Trends for 2024

    The two words that should be kept in mind are labor and...
    Automation
    By: Derrick Teal
  • cleaning and sanitation

    The basics of cleaning and sanitation in food plants

    Sanitation maintains or restores a state of cleanliness...
    Food Safety
    By: Richard F. Stier
Subscribe For Free!
  • eMagazine
  • eNewsletter
  • Online Registration
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Customer Service

More Videos

Popular Stories

Conagra Logo

Conagra Brands to Sell Chef Boyardee Brand to Hometown Food Company

Salt

FDA to Amend Standards of Identity to Include Salt Substitutes

Vilter IHP in plant

Industrial Heat Pumps: Sustainable Energy Solutions for Now and the Future

CHECK OUT OUR NEW ESSENTIAL TOPICS

Alternative ProteinAutomationCleaning/SanitationFabulous Food Plants

Food SafetyMaintenance StrategiesOEE

PackagingSustainability

Events

June 5, 2025

Mass Customization Driving Innovation in the Food and Beverage Industry

The food and beverage industry is at the nexus of transformative global manufacturing trends, driving a shift toward personalized, customer-centric solutions. 

June 5, 2025

How Cafe Spice Uses Automation to Propel Private Label

Learn about Cafe Spice’s new, state-of-the-art, highly automated manufacturing facility in Beacon, New York. 

View All Submit An Event

Products

Recent Advances in Ready-to-Eat Food Technology

Recent Advances in Ready-to-Eat Food Technology

See More Products

Plant of the Year

Related Articles

  • smart packaging

    Smart packaging: Connecting the physical with the digital

    See More
  • IMA's open mold technology

    Packaging Technology: Breaking the mold

    See More
  • Digital printing poised for growth

    Smart packaging multi-tasks to engage consumers and fight counterfeiting

    See More
×

Elevate your expertise in food engineering with unparalleled insights and connections.

Get the latest industry updates tailored your way.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Food Master
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing