Fulton Innovations, the same mad scientists who brought us self-cooking soup, have now focused their eCoupled technology on lighting up the cereal aisle. Using the same type of induction power as cell phone charging stations, they have developed a series of light-up cereal boxes.
Perhaps the existing retina-searing graphics and cute cartoon mascots aren’t enough for cereal companies to get you to buy their sugar-coated kiddie crack. If they do start lighting up their boxes, the already ridiculous cereal aisle will start to resemble an over-the-top, tourist-luring light show like Times Square — only with better food.
I’m waiting for animated “smart paper” cereal boxes that can interact with one another and form video walls in the cereal aisle.
The problem I see with light-up boxes is this… what powers it and watch somebody figure out how to make it work at home. That plus the costs of manufacturing, distributing, possibly new wiring for the boxes power sources, and keeping the boxes from turning on during shipping would all add up to be cost prohibitive… After all, How long ago did the cereal manufacturers stop putting physical prizes in their cereals? Now it’s websites and very brief movie tie-ins, like the DVDs, lightsaber pens, or light up star trek pins.
Matt… Agreed. But we are living in an era where ease of technology and coolness factor sometimes take precedent over common sense and sustainability. Fortunately these concepts hardly ever make it past 1st stage, as most manufacturers will realize that it’s a bit ridiculous.
Cute tech demo, but talk about totally missing the boat on current packaging trends! More is less, sustainability, recyclability, and reducing landfill waste is all we hear about. Additionally, in an era where food companies are frantically trying shave fractions of pennies from their food and packaging costs how would this increased packaging expense make for a viable ROI ?
Clean up on aisle 7!
Must be problematic if someof the shoppers are epileptic.
But i like the idea.
If they work at home I might save some money on christmas decorations. 🙂