Budweiser Brazil has introduced a whole new approach to friending people on Facebook. The beer brand is now testing special glasses, “The Buddy Cups,” which enable anyone to befriend a person by just clinking the cups together with him or her at a party. Thanks to a microchip that is embedded in the bottom of the glass, drinkers can make friends on Facebook instantly, when toasting.
technology
Nike is seeking new approaches that may revolutionize the shoe industry in the nearest future. In partnership with NASA, the U.S. State Department, and USAID, the sportswear giant is announcing the fourth Launch Challenge, calling R&D textile manufacturers to submit their groundbreaking ideas on new sustainable materials and entrepreneurial practices. The LAUNCH System Challenge 2013 that runs from April 24 through July 15, will accept “early bird” submissions starting June 15.
Going against a basic principle of product design «form follows function», the American brewing giant Anheuser-Busch is experimenting with the packaging of its signature brand Budweiser for the sake of innovation. Starting May 6, the company will be rolling out nationwide a new format of cans—a bow tie-shaped aluminum can that echoes Budwiser’s bow tie logo. The new product does not substitute traditional cans and will be available in an 8-pack in the US only.
Mondelēz International is using the power of fresh talents and innovative ideas in the mobile area to boost the popularity of its much-loved confectionery brands. As part of its ongoing Mobile Futures program, the company is launching seven mobile pilots, developed earlier in collaborative duos of nine U.S. start-ups and the company’s brands, in order to drive consumer engagement on mobile platforms. The match-ups were created and activated in early 2013 during the first 90-day phase of the Mobile Futures program, which now enters the second 90-day incubating phase. The company is set to introduce two more new pilots in May.
Facebook is promoting its Home for Android interface in a new ad that aired in the USA during the Final Four on CBS on Saturday. The “Airplane” commercial by Wieden+Kennedy celebrates Home’s virtue which lies in enabling Facebook users to stay connected with friends anywhere and anytime, without making extra clicks on their mobile devices.
Facebook has finally unveiled its long-awaited software Facebook Home that enhances Android smartphones, making them more integrated into the social-media world. The steady stream of posts and photos from friends on Facebook is the first thing users see when they turn on the phone with the installed Home. Facebook notes that new product is not a new operating system or a smartphone, but a “family of apps that puts your friends at the heart of your phone.”
Google is launching a bunch of pranks for April Fool’s Day. Google Nose beta seems to be the most impressive one in this range. The service allows to experience smells of various things by just typing in their names and also lets detect objects by their scent. Google Nose, developed “to offer the sharpest olfactory experience available,” even got a website where the service is detailed.
Samsung is putting its latest Smart TV in the spotlight with the latest global campaign, developed by CHI&Partners, London. As part of the push, the company has released two impressive 90-sec spots, highlighting Smart Recommendation and advanced voice and gesture control available in the product. The somewhat chaotic commercials for the TV service are true cinematic experiences, which bring the true richness of the on-screen life to the viewer.
Google unveils its latest Chrome Experiment that gives any online destination a gaming touch. With World Wide Maze, any website in the Chrome browser can be turned into a 3D pinball maze, which pops-up on the screen of a desktop or a laptop. To navigate a virtual ball through the maze, one is asked to use a mobile device that works as a controller.