Close×

Melbourne company Buzz Connect had the chance to light up the US Super Bowl on Sunday with 80,000 interactive beer cups.

The cups, which reacted to game triggers, touchdowns and crowd run-outs by lighting up, were distributed to everyone in the stadium and fans at select "watch" parties in the US.

Buzz Connect's Bud Light-branded glasses were programmed to light up blue for Patriots scores and green for Eagles scores. Buzz created the cups, apps to accompany the cups, and ran the activation.

image00115.png

The cups, which fans took home, can be re-used for upcoming seasons via Bluetooth.

The Super Bowl is the final game of the NFL season, and the 2017 game drew 111.3 million viewers on average during the game and $USD2 billion in broadcasting rights revenue.

Buzz Connect was founded by Barry Gold, Leonard Hamersfeld and Brian Hamersfeld to bring celebration moments from the game to the home or live site. The team worked with Budweiser for the latest promotion.

image0064.jpg

The trio are responsible for creating cult products including the Boony dolls for VB and pyjamas for Qantas.

Buzz is made up of two businesses: product design house Buzz Products; and Buzz Connect, which is focused on the internet of things and connected products.

Food & Drink Business

As the Australian functional beverage market continues to grow, emerging companies are still finding places to slot in. Alcohol recovery drink, Dodge, hit stores in mid-2022, and has taken off across the Asia-Pacific region with its science-backed formula and striking branding. Food & Drink Business spoke with co-founder, Braeden Leahy, about the product and plans for the future.

The former deputy chief of staff to the federal communications minister, Amanda Watson, has been appointed CEO of the Brewers Association of Australia (BAA).  Watson starts in the role on 14 July and replaces John Preston, who had been in the role for five years.

The Victorian government has invested $160,000 to support the sustainability and profitability of the state’s wine industry, matched by $240,000 from Wine Australia. The funds will help Wine Victoria to provide the wine industry with the knowledge, tools and resources needed to improve practices and outcomes.