Interactive Print - Near Field Communications

Launching the largest ever deployment of near field communication (NFC) tags in the wine and spirits industry is a big step forward for smart packaging. We spoke with representatives from NFC tag manufacturer Thinfilm, and Barbadillo, one of Spain's leading wine producers, about this latest initiative.

One of the largest deployments of NFC technology in the wine and spirits industry has hit the shelves through a partnership between Thinfilm and Barbadillo, a leading Spanish winemaker. 126,000 wine bottles are part of the initiative, which provides extended content to consumers via packaging.

Next week, Thinfilm will host a grand opening for its new San Jose, Calif. facility. The new location will be home to a roll-to-roll manufacturing line, which will allow Thinfilm to increase its annual NFC chip production capacity into the billions.

Every St. Patrick’s Day, a limited edition label adorns one of the most recognizable Irish spirits – Jameson Irish Whiskey. But, according to Jameson’s website, this year’s St. Patrick’s Day label features an added twist in the form of NFC connectivity.

As brands are continually striving to increase their interaction with consumers, smart packaging seems poised to be a vehicle for making that happen. WestRock's Connected Packaging Solutions may be the catalyst in taking this technology from a niche to the mainstream.

WestRock has unveiled a connected packaging solution for smart products that combines Digimarc's enabled barcode technology, with EVRYTHNG’s IoT Smart Products Platform to bring embedded, real time, connected digital intelligence to billions of WestRock packages, in-store signs and displays produced annually.

For those outside the industry, printing and packaging may not immediately come to mind as the most high-tech field. But, attendees of CES, the upcoming consumer electronics mega-event in Las Vegas will get a first hand glimpse of the power of printed electronics and smart packaging.

Not all olive oil is created equal, and as those well-versed in extra virgin olive oil know, there’s no substitute for the real deal. Thin Film Electronics has announced it is working with four Italian olive oil brands and the mobile app iOlive to incorporate NFC technology into the olive oil packaging.

According to a report from Research and Markets, the near-field communication market is expected to grow to more than $47 billion by 2024. While much of the growth is due the rise of mobile payment applications, interactive packaging can provide opportunities for NFC as well.

As part of its #Becausesummer campaign, Malibu Rum will distribute 40,000 bottles featuring smart packaging capabilities to Tesco stores. The NFC packaging allows consumers to interact with the packaging and is the largest implementation of NFC in an alcoholic beverage product.