Vores ØL - The World's 1st Open Source Beer

A group of students at the IT University in Copenhagen have created Vores ØL - Our Beer, in English - in collaboration with Superflex as an experiment in applying modern open source ideas to methods in traditional real-world product. Superflex plays with social interaction and creative practice to bring new thinking and ways into the mainstream.

You can find everything you want to know about the beer on their Vores ØL site.

This caught my attention because I have worked with beer clients for 30 years. Beer brands struggle with marketing, advertising and promotion because people are no longer susceptible to gimmicks that have traditionally pushed beer sales. People seek out authenticity today. They want to be more than just consumers. That means they are also exploring idealogical alignments.

I wonder how many other product and service brands will follow this. My instincts tell me this is only the beginning of the exploration into how brands can become part of mediated environments and join communities in co-creation of their extended life.