Wine firm uses AR to tell its story right on the bottle

A Central Otago wine company is using augmented reality (AR) and a 'digital first' strategy to change the way it builds its brand and engages with customers.

Providore is one of 700 wine producers and thousands of different brands operating within New Zealand's wine market, so standing out from the crowd can be a challenge – but AR could be the answer.

"While technology is not changing the way we make wine, it is changing how we share it," says Providore CEO Craig Coote.

The company partnered with Wellington-based digital creative studio Maggle to create the AR content.

Together, they built an AR experience based around the wine labels. Customers must first download an app and then they are able to hold it over the illustration on the label.

Customers will then be able to step inside the world of Providore, to see the landscapes where the wine is made and meet the people who make it.

So far Providore and Maggle have created six stories over the course of the year. They will be updated monthly.

"Providore isn't the first wine company to use AR, but what we are doing is more interactive and engaging. We are creating a whole digital world inside the bottle for people to explore," says Maggle managing director Mitch Duncan.

He says that as new AR technology becomes available, Maggle is using it to push the boundaries of what is possible.

Providore's 'digital first' marketing campaign is also overseen by digital strategy agency Growth Hacking.

"What Providore is doing is truly ground breaking. It is hugely exciting to work with a company committed to using digital as the only means to build a brand and sustain engagement," says Duncan.

We are using different forms of technology and social media to create an immersive experience where customers go to Central Otago without leaving their homes," says Craig Coote.

The initial release features five wines, a Pinot Gris, a Blanc de Noir, a Rose and two Pinot Noirs.