Client: Japan Tobacco International

Solution type: WebAR

Launch date: December 2019

Technologies: React | Machine Learning | Google AutoML

Platforms: Web

Challenge:

Due to legal updates in Switzerland, the tobacco industry has to renew the awareness labels on cigarette packages to follow the restrictions that will enter into force in January 2021. Based on that retailers have to sell old packages initially before selling new ones, which are often hard to separate and ask for a quick action with high usability to ensure this process. Therefore, innovation.rocks joined the digital campaign by JTI and iMi to develop an easy to use digital sorting tool.

Solution:

The most effective solution turned out to be a webApp for smartphones and tablets, that identifies the different packages. Developed with React, the webApp works by simply opening an URL (manually or by scanning a QR code). The user can then take a picture of the awareness label and will directly receive the demanded information on the expiring date. The label recognition was done with Google AutoML, which allows retailers to easily and quickly distinguish between the cigarette packages in seconds by only taking a picture and without downloading an app.