The counterfeiting of goods is a major worldwide problem that affects everything from Rolex watches to corn flakes. It's particularly vexing for luxury goods, where a fake or tampered product can destroy a reputation that, in some cases, has taken centuries to cultivate. In a similar vein to the smart whiskey bottle we looked at earlier this year, fine cognac distiller Rémy Martin and digital innovations company Selinko have developed the Rémy Martin Club Connected Bottle, which authenticates bottles of the upmarket spirit and warns when they've been opened.
The Rémy Martin Club Connected Bottle is based on NFC technology developed by Selinko that uses a tamper-proof NFC tag incorporated into the bottle's sealing capsule. The companies say that this tag is based on standard ANSSI-EAL4+ banking technology with asymmetric encryption that provides security equal to that of passports and bank cards.
Using an Android smartphone app, the buyer can tap his or her phone on the top of the bottle, and the app then displays what the companies claim is a 100 percent secure provenance and confirmation that the bottle is still sealed – both of which protect the buyer against possible physical and online fraud. Opening the bottle changes the status of the tag to active and gives an alert. Tapping the bottle again gives interactive news of rewards and special events, and earns the buyer points in the company's promotional points program.
"Not only does the Rémy Martin Club Connected Bottle guarantee the authenticity of the product," says Augustin Depardon, Rémy Martin Executive Director. "But it also allows us to communicate directly with our consumers who enjoy our products which is a very exciting innovation. Rewards, events, special offers: our communication can now be completely aligned with our clients’ preferences for optimal relevancy.”
The Rémy Martin Club Connected Bottle will be available in nightclubs in China later this year before wider distribution.
Sources: Rémy Martin, Selinko
