Jack Daniel’s Introduces AR Experience For Phones That Turns Bottles Into 3D Stories

Tennessee whiskey distillery Jack Daniel’s has released a new marketing tool that turns any bottle of its product into an interactive augmented reality (AR) experience, according to reports.

“In today’s world, it’s important for us to reach fans and consumers where they are,” said Jeff Cole, modern media director for Jack Daniel’s. “That means sharing content that’s unique, interesting and relevant though a variety of digital mediums.”

The AR technology turns any Jack Daniel’s bottle, from small airplane bottles to the huge 1.47 liter bottles, into a pop-up like book that tells the story of the brand and its history.

Meant to be used by persons 21 and up, the AR experience uses a tablet or smartphone camera to recognize a bottle’s shape, and then a digital but photo-realistic version of the bottle’s label syncs up with the real one, and unfolds to show off all kinds of different effects to tell a story.

The company offers three AR experiences. One is an explanation of how the whiskey is manufactured, from finding the water to making the mash and barrels, all the way through fermenting and distilling. Every step in the process has its own pop-out display.

The second experience involves a close-up look at the company’s Lynchburg, Tennessee distillery, with its cave spring and barrel coop, and it’s all presented with a surprising amount of detail. The third one is a collection of stories about Jack Daniel, and everything is narrated by a man with a smooth low-sounding voice.

If you don’t have a bottle on hand, however, you can only see flat 2D content. The app will only work with an actual bottle in front of you. People who use iPhone or iPad can get the app through the iOS store and Android users can get it from the Google Play Store. The app requires birthdate confirmation.