Absolut Drinkspiration iPhone app

I noticed a large neck collar hanging off bottles of Absolut Vodka in Sainsburys today. It was for the Drinkspiration iPhone app, but what really struck me was the QR code. QR codes are one of those buzz word technologies that aren’t really understood by many marketing teams. In this case it couldn’t be more pointless. Most iPhone users don’t have a QR code reader installed because they don’t serve any useful purpose on that platform. QR codes make sense on feature phones where typing and accessing the web is time-consuming, but typing and web browsing on the iPhone is ridiculously easy. Anyway, it’s a small gripe when Absolut is clearly embracing Digital to this extent.

The app itself is a cocktail recipe guide; it helps you to find a cocktail by categorising recipes by background volume, time of day, weather, glass type, bar vibe, interest, location, taste, colour and many others. The interface is clean and usable. I pretty much never drink cocktails but I can see myself reaching for this app in the supermarket or bar. By not sticking only to vodka-related cocktails, Absolut has created something genuinely useful for consumers who are open to trying something different.