Norway's Largest Importer of Wine and Producer of Liquor Selects Thinfilm's NFC Technology to Connect with Consumers; Field Trials for LINIE Aquavit Brand To Start in Q2 OSLO, Norway, February 27, 2017 - Thin Film Electronics ASA ("Thinfilm") (OSE: THIN), a global leader in NFC (near field communication) mobile marketing solutions using printed electronics technology, today announced Arcus ASA ("Arcus") (OSE: ARCUS), Norway's largest wholesaler of wine and liquor, as a new customer. Preparations are underway for an initial field trial, which is expected to begin in the second quarter. For the trial, Thinfilm's smartphone-readable SpeedTap(TM) tags will be applied to bottles of Arcus' legendary LINIE Aquavit brand to enable a direct connection with consumers. Thinfilm will also present the LINIE Aquavit connected bottle at Mobile World Congress 2017, February 27 - March 2, in Barcelona, Spain.
To accelerate innovation within its spirits category, Arcus will leverage Thinfilm's end-to-end NFC solutions offering to improve its ability to engage with consumers. SpeedTap tags integrate with the Thinfilm CNECT(TM) software portal, a powerful cloud-based platform that enables remote tag management, custom content delivery, and brand analytics and reporting. Each SpeedTap tag is uniquely identifiable and virtually impossible to clone, and can be read with the simple tap of an NFC-enabled smartphone or device. Once tapped, the tags allow smart devices to wirelessly communicate with the CNECT software portal. This combination creates a compelling one-to-one mobile marketing platform from which Arcus can connect directly with its consumers. As a result, LINIE marketers are able to instantly deliver brand stories, product news, and other contextual content. "LINIE aquavit is the world's oldest aquavit brand, created in 1821. We have a strong focus on innovation in order to keep the brand contemporary and build awareness around the aquavit category," said Romain Jourdan, Category Manager for Norwegian Aquavit, at Arcus. "We are excited to partner with a fellow-Norwegian firm and look forward to working closely with Thinfilm on this innovative initiative." Arcus is a publicly-listed company on the Oslo Stock Exchange, and is the world's largest producer of aquavit and the leading wine and spirits company in Norway. In addition, the company is Sweden's second largest importer of wine, the third largest in Finland, and the second largest producer of spirits in Denmark. Arcus also owns the Aalborg, Løiten, and Gammel Opland aquavit brands.
"Arcus and the iconic LINIE Aquavit brand represent a unique combination of old-world tradition and new-world innovation," said Davor Sutija, CEO of Thinfilm. "We're very excited about the role our NFC technology will play in connecting Arcus to its consumers."
About Thin Film Electronics ASA
Thinfilm is a leader in NFC smart packaging solutions using printed electronics technology. The first to commercialize printed, rewritable memory, the Company today creates printed tags, labels and systems that include memory, sensing, display, and wireless communication - all at a cost-per-function unmatched by conventional electronic technologies. Thinfilm's roadmap integrates technology from a strong and growing ecosystem of partners to bring intelligence to everyday items and effectively extend the traditional boundaries of the Internet of Things.
Thin Film Electronics ASA ("Thinfilm") is a publicly listed Norwegian company with headquarters in Oslo, Norway; product development and production in Linköping, Sweden; product development, production, and business development in San Jose, California, USA; and sales offices in the United States, Hong Kong, and Singapore. For more information, visit www.thinfilm.no . This information is subject of the disclosure requirements acc. to §5-12 vphl (Norwegian Securities Trading Act).
For more information on Thinfilm please contact: Bill Cummings SVP Corporate Communications Thin Film Electronics ASA +1 408-503-7312 bill.cummings@thinfilm.no
