Guinness uses VR to enhance the taste of a pint

Devised by digital agency R/GA, the tasting experience immerses shoppers in a multisensory environment designed to heighten the beer’s intensity of flavour. The colours, shapes and sounds were designed in collaboration with professor Charles Spence, food and flavour scientist at Oxford University, and have been scientifically proven to enrich the flavour profiles of each of Guinness’s new beers.

Consumers are guided by the voice of Peter Simpson, master brewer at The Guinness Brewery in Dublin, who instructs them when to smell and sip the drinks for maximum impact. Intelligent cups with built-in chips recognise the amount of drink remaining and activate the digital environment accordingly.

Although the principles of synaesthesia have previously been applied to food and drink experiences, this is the first time that mainstream brands such as Guinness and Tesco have adopted this approach.