Thin Film, Constantia announce NFC tags for craft beer market

The wireless near field communication tags will enable microbreweries to engage with and educate consumers, and differentiate their respective brands.

Hopsy was created as an alternative distribution system through which customers can order fresh draft beer directly from local breweries and have it delivered right to their door. The beer is packaged in 32-ounce containers called ‘growlettes,’ and each container will feature an NFC OpenSense tag as part of its label, all of which will be converted and printed in Constantia Flexibles’ Cwmbran facility. Hopsy currently offers more than 20 different beers from 12 San Francisco Bay Area breweries, with plans to access more beers and breweries soon.

Hopsy’s co-founder and CEO Sebastien Tron said: ‘Craft beer is not just about beer, it’s also about authenticity and craftsmanship. The two most important people in craft beer are the beer makers and the beer lovers. Our customers truly care about where their beer comes from and who made it. And we, at Hopsy, create a direct connection between the two, bringing the freshest beer to the home, just as the brewer intended it. We decided to go one step further and bring the tasting experience into the living room. We believe Thinfilm’s technology gives our partner breweries a powerful tool to connect with their customers beyond the brewery.'

NFC OpenSense tags are thin, flexible labels that integrate with a product’s packaging or label and can be read with the tap of an NFC-enabled smartphone. Each tag is uniquely identifiable and can detect a product’s ‘factory sealed’ and ‘opened’ states. Once tapped, the tag wirelessly communicates with the cloud, instantly delivering relevant, contextual content based on the product’s state. Hopsy will work with its partner breweries to deliver a range of rich content through the NFC tags, including brewery information, product details, videos and more.

‘Niche businesses and novel brands often find it very difficult to compete with larger, more established companies. They need solutions that differentiate their products and help them connect with customers,’ said Davor Sutija, CEO of Thinfilm. ‘Hopsy has developed a compelling service that’s resonating in the craft beer markets, and we’re excited about the role our technology can play in growing its business and the businesses of its clients.’

To read more about Thinfilm's smart labels and its partnership with Constantia Flexibles, check out the April/May issue of Labels & Labeling, or click here.