A beer glass that connects to Facebook is not the brave future I imagined

It conjures images of the final scenes of “The Hangover”, when Alan finds Stu’s digital camera detailing the sordid events of the previous evening.

Budweiser has unveiled the “Buddy Cup”, a beer glass with a chip inside that allows you to become Facebook friends with someone by simply toasting them.

Yep, you heard it right. Now that bars, restaurants, malls and bar mitzvahs have basically become large collections of people staring at their smartphones, Budweiser has found a way to wedge even more social media into the equation.

So forget the flying cars, jetpacks, and robot maids. Let’s launch ourselves into this bold vision of tomorrow by forgoing the natural anonymity of public spaces for a few new people who next week will tell us what they had for lunch.

The idea for the Buddy Cup came from ad agency Agencia Africa, who partnered with a Brazilian studio named Bolha. The pair were charged with developing a product that would spark interaction from it users.

Users connect their Facebook account using a QR code on the bottom of the cup. A LED confirmation signal lights up when a connection is made.

“For years, ” says the ad for the cup, “we’ve been making friends in the same way. “Now toasting has received an upgrade.”

Budweiser is currently testing the cup in Brazil, and has not said if it will roll out internationally or not. So far the cup has had a mixed reaction, but we’re onside with Adweek, who declared “The Buddy Cup might be the dumbest high-tech brand innovation yet”.

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