I read this on the internet, so it must be true. Budweiser is experimenting with what it calls a Buddy Cup, which is a pint glass with a built-in chip that connects to Facebook. The cup automatically connects people on Facebook when they clink glasses with another “Buddy Cup” user, creating an instant virtual friendship.
The promotional video above allegedly shows the glass being tested in Brazil as drinkers enjoyably clink pints. "So, they just did the same as always: Went out drinking Bud, and making new friends," a male narrator announces in the company's commercial. “Buddy Cup: the more Buds, the more friends.”
Apparently reaction to cup is mixed at best. I love this quote reported by Fox News "In the olden times, clinking your beers together with a stranger was a sign of celebration—a mutual agreement that things were about to get weird. The fact that you’d never have to see them again or explain why you puked down the front of your shirt was a significant part of the appeal. Now, Budweiser is about to destroy that sacred experience with the introduction of the Buddy Cup."
Our shopper marketing agency Theory House continues to marvel at the technological creep happening along (and after) the consumer decision journey. What's next, code embedded Chap Stick?
