PERNOD RICARD - LIGHTCUBE

Designing and launching a smart hub for nightclub’s VIP areas

CLIENT

Pernod Ricard

SERVICES

Strategic Research
Product and Service Design + Engineering

Opportunity Statement

Pernod Ricard wanted to expand their traditional business model beyond the distribution of alcoholic beverages into the offering of innovative products and services for leisure and entertainment.

The Challenge

To design, develop, and pilot a service for VIP experiences in nightclubs, with the double purpose of strengthening Pernod Ricard’s offering to nightclub owners beyond the supply of bottles; and to do so while gathering actionable data from the final consumers of their products.

The Solution

A smart and interactive ice-bucket designed for VIP areas of nightclubs that connects customers to the bartenders. The cube comes equipped with a detachable ice container, LEDs, 360º camera, Wi-Fi access, and a 7’’ touch screen.

Customers can get faster service by placing orders directly from the table. They can also take 360º pictures and interact with other tables. All the while, bar owners can speed up the service, expand their offerings, and send personalized promotions and offers.

The Approach

CO-DESIGNING WITH THE CLIENT

We defined the key features of the service and translated the value proposition into design attributes, including the client ideas and suggestions around every design decision, benefiting from their knowledge of the business.

HARDWARE ITERATIVE DESIGN

We built low and medium fidelity prototypes that allowed us to quickly test the designs with real potential users, gathering feedback for refining the concept in an iterative, human-centered process.

SOFTWARE DESIGN + DEVELOPMENT

We designed and developed one app for the LightCube, one app for the bartender, and one control panel for Pernod Ricard.

A combination of bright colors over a dark background was used for both apps to match the aesthetics of illumination in nightclubs. Interactions were simplified to the maximum in order to avoid confusion in an already busy environment.

ASSEMBLY + QUALITY CONTROL

We purchased and manufactured all necessary components for the production and set a small assembly line to mount all 15 units. Lastly, we tested all units one-by-one to guarantee the correct functioning of hardware and software.

PILOT EXECUTION

We launched a pilot introducing three-to-five LightCubes in the most popular nightclubs in Madrid and Barcelona, observing and measuring performance and user response.

Impact

“Based on the great acceptance and positive feedback obtained from club owners and consumers, we are currently planning the design and development of a version 2.0 of the LightCube and scaling up of the pilot to more locations.”

Alberto Garcia Redondo – Product Manager – Pernod Ricard