September 2 2020  |  Spirits & Tobacco

Oliva Cigars premiers QR-code for every box

By Laura Shirk

Also known as a Quick Response code, Oliva Cigars has introduced a new concept to the cigar industry that will initiate a unique two-communication channel between the smoker and the cigar

Oliva Cigars has introduced a new concept in the cigar world: a unique QR-code for every cigar box from the Serie V Melanio line. This QR-code will reveal the origins of the cigar and open up the beautiful world where the cigar has been made.

QR-codes – also known as Quick Response codes – have been used on packaging for some time. These two-dimensional pixelated codes are easy to scan with a smartphone camera and contain more information than classic barcodes.

From now on, Oliva Cigars will be including a unique QR-code on each of its Serie V Melanio boxes. Anyone who scans such a code will find detailed background information about that particular cigar.

“For example, we pinpoint the factory where the cigar was rolled and what tobacco was used for it. And we also identify the Bonchero and the Rolero. The Bonchero handles the first step before the cigar gets rolled, while the Rolero makes sure that the binder is rolled around the cigar,” explains Cory Bappert, CEO, Oliva Cigar Co.

Beside putting a face behind the product, in partnership with the Belgian studio Cnockspot, Oliva Cigars has included videos of its factories behind its QR codes. “People like to know from what farm their food is coming; where their wallet and t-shirt has been made and who finished the table they just bought...We are happy to offer, as the first ones in the industry, a similar experience for the cigar smoker,” he adds.

The Belgian data tech start-up Esoptra has helped the team in developing this innovative approach. Its platform ZAZA.Rocks (Zero App Zero Account) leverages QR codes to easily link the journey of a unique product to the experience of a unique customer. Opening up a unique two-way communication channel between the smoker and the cigar, the ZARA QR code allows the smoker to learn rich information about the cigar and in return offers feedback about his or her smoking experience. Looking ahead, the team expects to further enrich the concept with additional features.

This innovation, the only one of its kind in the cigar world, perfectly matches the Oliva concept. “A cigar isn’t just for smoking, it’s about pure enjoyment too. With this innovation, we want to give our cigar connoisseurs an added experience,” says Frederik Vandermarliere, CEO, J.Cortès.

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