Strongbow becomes first booze brand to add NaviLens for blind and partially sighted shoppers

Strongbow has become the first alcohol brand to add NaviLens assistive technology to its packaging.

Cans of Strongbow cider now feature a NaviLens QR code – a high-contrast, smartphone-readable marker that “helps blind and partially sighted shoppers find, understand, and engage with the product”.

The code links to the NaviLens app which shares key details such as ingredients and abv, alongside branded content and store navigation.

The move formed part of its ambition to become “the world’s most inclusive cider brand” according to Strongbow, which is owned by Heineken.

To implement the technology, Strongbow partnered with inclusive marketing agency Purple Goat to understand how blind and visually impaired consumers currently experienced its product.

Together, agency and brand were “able to identify real-world barriers and help shape a more accessible approach to packaging for blind and visually impaired communities”, Purple Goat said

“This wasn’t just about adding a QR code, it’s about understanding how people actually experience our product,” said Rachel Holms, cider brand director at Strongbow. “Hearing directly from blind and visually impaired creators helped us see the gaps we hadn’t considered, and that input has shaped something far more meaningful. It’s a clear reminder that inclusive design isn’t optional, it’s essential.”

Dom Hyams, global client director at Purple Goat, added: “There is a huge opportunity for brands to connect with what is often an untapped customer base by simply thinking through an accessible and inclusive lens from the outset.

“True brand strength comes from understanding all customers’ needs and, naturally, a product and brand experience that creates loyalty, connection and commercial growth”.

Developed by researchers at the University of Alicante, NaviLens uses special QR codes that can be read from a further distance than regular codes. Information is then made available either in written or audio form from the user’s smartphone device.

The technology is used on some public transport networks in the UK, while other fmcg brands including Kellogg’s, Fruit Shoot, Persil, Müller and Coca-Cola have trialled it on their products in supermarkets.