Companies are using technology-enhanced packaging with AI, QR codes, and NFC tags to improve accessibility for blind consumers, ensure child safety for medicines, and create meaningful social impact through innovative design.
- Unilever partnered with Be My Eyes to integrate Accessible QR codes on Colman's products, connecting blind and low-vision shoppers to volunteer assistance and AI chatbots for cooking guidance.
- GlaxoSmithKline introduced child-resistant blister packaging for Lamictal epilepsy tablets complying with European safety standard DIN EN 14375 to prevent accidental ingestion by children.
- Las Quinas sauce brand uses NFC technology and generative AI on labels to provide virtual experiences revealing product history and social impact while supporting vulnerable women in Argentina.
- Technology-enhanced packaging serves as a force for good, enabling companies to provide information accessibility, increase product safety, and create inclusive consumer experiences globally.
There has been a growth in technology-enhanced packaging, where companies integrate technology to use packaging as a force for good, enabling users to easily access information. Pharmaceutical companies are also using packaging to increase safety of medicines through innovative anti-tamper or child-safe packaging.
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Unilever's partnership with Be My Eyes allows customers who are blind or visually impaired to easily access product information and recipes.ThePackHub
Unilever has collaborated with Be My Eyes, an accessibility app specialist, to enhance the cooking experience for individuals who are blind or have low vision. Implementing Be My Eyes’ AI technology, Unilever integrates powerful tools into products, starting with a pilot initiative featuring Colman’s Singapore Noodles Meal Maker in the U.K. Shoppers can utilize the on-pack Accessible QR (AQR) code to connect with the Be My Eyes app, where they can seek volunteer assistance for reading and describing cooking instructions or interact with a Chat GPT-4 AI bot for recipe enquiries. This innovative partnership aligns with Unilever’s global connected pack strategy, introducing digital experiences to improve consumer interactions with its products. The AQR codes, detectable from a distance, aim to enhance accessibility for blind and visually impaired consumers, providing information such as usage directions and nutritional details through the Be My Eyes app. The initiative builds upon Unilever’s prior introduction of AQR codes on Persil and Colman’s products in the UK, reinforcing the company’s commitment to a more inclusive and engaging consumer experience globally.
GSK has introduced child-safe packaging for its Lamictal epilepsy medication after a routine risk assessment.ThePackHub
In response to a potential risk identified through a routine risk assessment, British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) will introduce child-safe packaging for its Lamictal tablets in potencies of 25, 50, 100 and 200 mg. The move aims to mitigate the risk of accidental ingestion by children due to the previous easy-to-open packaging. GSK, in collaboration with regulatory authorities, decided to implement packaging changes that comply with the European standard DIN EN 14375 for child-resistant packaging. The new blisters have undergone application tests with both children and adults. GSK recommends specific steps for users to open the child-proof packaging without difficulty, including separating doses along pre-perforated lines, removing the protective film, and easily squeezing out tablets from the blister cups. Additionally, GSK provides instructional videos to demonstrate the proper blister removal procedure. The company’s commitment to safety reflects its proactive approach to addressing potential risks and ensuring patient well-being.
Customers can scan on-pack NFC tags to access a virtual experience that communicates Las Quinas' product history and social impact.ThePackHub
Las Quinas, a condiments and sauce brand based in Santiago del Estero, Argentina, faced the challenge of conveying its unique story in the competitive world of sustainable and organic products. Collaborating with key partners such as Tridimage, Avery Dennison, Cellr, HP Indigo, and Etiketten, they employed innovative technology to create a distinctive packaging solution. Leveraging HP Indigo digital printing and generative artificial intelligence, each label features a vibrant illustration symbolizing the hard work of Santiago women. Through NFC technology, consumers can scan the tags, accessing a virtual experience that unveils the product’s history and the brand’s social impact. The project not only makes a mark in the food industry but also brings economic, social, and environmental benefits to the region, providing income to vulnerable women and preserving ancestral traditions. Recognized with the Local Commitment Award at the Mappa 2023 fair, the Las Quinas project exemplifies how technology and innovation can converge to create positive impacts, earning it a nomination for a 2023 Pentawards Award in the Connected Packaging category.
Learn more about ThePackHub's Innovation Zone here.
