Chiquita leverages Shazam’s technology to take shoppers and retailers on a journey to learn What lies behind the blue sticker

Chiquita Brands International, the world’s foremost banana purveyor, announced a new partnership with Shazam, the popular audio and visual recognition app, which will help consumers discover how Chiquita is leading sustainability efforts in an emotional and engaging way. Utilizing the AR/VR expertise of creative agency Dffrnt Media, consumers will be able to scan a Shazam Code on the iconic Blue Sticker via the app, and virtually “peel back” to learn more about Chiquita’s commitment to transparency and sustainability in addition to what Chiquita does, day after day, to deliver the promise that stands “Behind the Blue Sticker.”

Starting in mid-July, the Shazam Code will appear on 200 million Chiquita Blue Stickers in the US and several European countries for a four-week period. Consumers will be able to access an AR experience via the Shazam app that will then transport consumers into the tropics through Virtual Reality. Essentially, they’ll be able to follow the journey of a banana from Chiquita farms in Latin America, to the port facility, right across the Atlantic and all the way to their kitchen table via their favorite grocery store.

Bananas are among the top sellers across grocery stores, making them present on almost every kitchen counter or table across the country. This gives Chiquita a unique opportunity to leverage its iconic Blue Stickers as a powerful touchpoint to allow consumers to interact with the brand in a fun, but also educational way. Chiquita’s “Behind the Blue Sticker” initiative assures consumers that the iconic Blue Sticker stands for high-quality, delicious bananas, and – above all – sustainable bananas. For this reason, the “Behind the Blue Sticker” initiative includes various innovations in farm management and logistics with an impact on waste, emission reduction CO2 and water footprint, and much more.

This campaign is launching Mid-July in the United States, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Greece and Germany for a four-week period.

The technology facilitates greater brands transparency and consumer interaction

In a first for the beverage industry, Crown Bevcan Europe & Middle East, a business unit of Crown Holdings is launching its CrownConnect^™ technology in conjunction with FACT – an all-natural sparkling drink. Each can will be marked with a 2D unique scannable code, making FACT beverage cans the first ever to be produced with a unique digital identity.

To this end, Crown has partnered with tech-savvy entrepreneur Olly Bolton, to launch Almond, a blockchain platform that allows consumers to scan a unique hidden product code and rewards them by unlocking tokens that are redeemable for cash. The platform, launched in June of this year, will also unlock details of FACT Water’s story, giving unprecedented access to supply chain information and building deeper, trusting relationships with consumers that will ultimately foster brand loyalty.

Crown’s involvement in the project is very much as an enabler of the technology. As well as producing the physical beverage can for FACT Water, on which Almond will be launched, its CrownConnect^™ technology provides the 2D codes beneath the tab of the beverage can that facilitate the engagement between consumer (via a scanning application) and brand. The platform, developed in partnership with IoT company EVRYTHNG then comes into effect, intuitively generating rewards and offers based on previous purchases and offering discounts and rewards to users based on their habits and the products they buy.

“The Internet of Things, and specifically blockchain technologies, will continue to drive the way brands interact with consumers and Almond is a very exciting step into this area for the beverage industry”, commented Matt Twiss, Marketing and Business Development Director at Crown. “From a brand’s perspective, the value lies in the ability to capture valuable data about when and where customers consume their products. CrownConnect^™ technology has been designed specifically to facilitate this level of interaction between brand and consumer. The company is proud to be working with innovators such as Olly Bolton and EVRYTHNG to make beverage packaging more interactive and value-added than ever.”

Olly Bolton, Founder of Almond added: “The Almond app will allow users to interact with brands in a new completely way, directly reaping the rewards of their use of the app and pledging their allegiance to brands based on the way they approach transparency and their supply chain. Almond establishes a new type of relationship between brands and consumers: one that is symbiotic and mutually beneficial, giving consumers control and autonomy over the type of brands they buy, while also rewarding their loyalty.”

Almond-enabled cans of FACT Water will be available to buy in the U.K. and selected European countries from the end of June.