In Brazil, advertising has dedicated itself to finding innovative forms of impacting the public – Brazilians are more and more connected and integrated with digital. Tablets, smartphones, and social networks are digital extensions of our consumer’s personalities. Buddy Cup project amplifies digital presence through physical interactions with other people, connecting the friendship bond through the act of a “cheers” onto their digital profiles.

The technology makes people become Facebook friends when they touch glasses and “cheers” and it was created specifically for this Budweiser project.

Budweiser always used as a strategy sponsoring concerts and parties. But the competing beer brands also use the same type of strategy. So we used these events sponsored by Budweiser to create a new way for consumers to interact with the brand.

It’s a purely innovative project. We created a new technology that brings virtual Facebook universe to a classic form of interaction among people: toasting.

A cup developed especially for it has an electronic structure composed of a large number of sensors where, though a QR code that is scanned with a smartphone, links the object to the person’s Facebook profile. Whenever someone “cheers” with another that has done the same, a server with an antenna that is placed in the event location receives this information and posts it on Facebook, a confirmation LED lights up on the cup and people connect on the social network. Pilot events took place to prove the concept.

The technology is composed by some different technologies, such as an accelerometer and communications via red infra and radio frequencies.

Since it was an idea created by the agency for Budweiser and produced by Bolha (digital innovations agency), the technology’s development was all paid for by Budweiser.

We’re now getting into a phase of technology upgrade of the product to make its production viable on a large scale and available in big events. The cup will be produced in large quantities to be used by the sponsor’s platform at events and musical shows Budweiser puts on around the world.

Buddy Cup reinforces the concept of the Internet of Things¸ providing a practical application to the industry.

With this project we made Budweiser get closer to consumers, and consumers get closer to each other.

And more:

- Facebook fan numbers went up by 30%.

- Thousands of mentions on Twitter and Facebook.

- The case received more than 800.000 views on YouTube.

- Free media impressions across the Internet and blogs around the world.

- And we helped to make thousands of new friends.