Close×

Coconut-flavoured rum brand Malibu has launched 40,000 ‘connected’ bottles which use Near Field Communication (NFC).

The user can tap their NFC-enabled android phone onto a Malibu sunset image on the bottle to access content and prize draws instantly.

All bottles will have an accompanying neck-tag to provide the consumer with a clear explanation.

The campaign follows research from Pernod Ricard UK which revealed a growing trend in experiences delivered via products and services.

The campaign has been developed through an ongoing partnership between Malibu and creative agency SharpEnd, and follows work undertaken at The Absolut Company’s innovation lab in Stockholm.

Absolut and Malibu collaborated on a ‘connected’ bottles showcase, and the project has led to the first pilot of this kind in the UK.

This story was sourced from the Active & Intelligent Packaging Association. It will hold its conference from 14-15 November in Amsterdam. You can find out more about the congress here and the AIPIA here.

 

Food & Drink Business

The Brewers Association of Australia CEO, Amanda Watson, has stepped down from the role. Watson, who became CEO in July 2025, said she was pursuing a different career direction.

Australian Food Pact signatories generated $12 million in additional revenue in 2025 by converting unsold food into higher-value outcomes, including new product development and commercial redistribution, according to End Food Waste Australia.

In response to the sector challenges laid out in 2024’s One Grape & Wine Sector Plan, Wine Australia has created the Australian Wine Future Fund, designed to increase funding pathways for fast-tracking innovations addressing the industry’s most critical challenges.