Flexible and printed electronics are becoming more mainstream, and the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia is showing the versatility and viability of thesewide-rangingtechnologies. Various flexible and printed electronics products in force at the World Cup, from tickets to soccer balls and beer cups to even tequila.
 
Tickets are perhaps the most obvious opportunity. RFID has been used for tickets at major events for years, and this year, HID Global, an ASSA ABLOY Group subsidiary, is the “official ticket producer” for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. World Cup attendees will need more than three million tickets, and HID Global will provide secure tickets using RFID.
 
HID Global reported that in addition to numerous security features, the smart ticket features an RFID inlay. This will help cut down on counterfeiting, as RFID-based tickets are harder to replicate illegally that barcode-based ones.
 
“HID Global is providing FIFA with a formidable defense against ticket fraud and simplifying the process of a fan’s picking a ticket and using it to tap and go into the stadium,” Stefan Widing, president and CEO of HID Global, said in announcing HID Global’s selection by FIFA to produce the tickets.
 
Once a person enters the stadium, they may want to enjoy a beverage while rooting for their team. ABInBev has that aspect covered, having developed specialized beer cups that feature LED lighting and sensors. When the microphones hear loud sounds like cheering, the LED lights go on.
 
“We designed eight to ten million cups going around the world for the World Cup, adding a microphone and lights,” Keenan Thompson, global innovation director – Packaging Structure, Materials & Design at ABInBev, said during LOPEC 2018. “We had to figure out the price point – it was not a light investment. I don’t need an OLED to last three years, or to be beautiful. I need it to last 10 minutes and have two or three segments.”
 
Fans of Mexico who can’t make it to the games may wish to pick up a bottle of el Jimador tequila, which features “smart bottles” and “connected coasters” designed by Thinfilm. El Jimador, a brand of Brown-Forman, has created its “Soccer Moments” campaign, which uses NFC-enabled tags on its bottlenecks and coasters. Customers can activate the tag with a smartphone, tell their favorite soccer story and become eligible for prizes.
 
“Our Soccer Moments campaign is connecting us with consumers who are both fans of soccer and fans of the el Jimador brand,” said Ed Carias, senior brand manager for el Jimador tequila at Brown-Forman. 
 
If a person just wants to kick a ball around, they can get adidas’ Telstar 18, the Official Match Ball for 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. The Telstar 18 features SMARTRAC’s CIRCUS FLEX NFC enabled tag.  
 
Adidas is no stranger to NFC, having developed UltraBOOST shoe models and top-of-the-line soccer jerseys in Bayern Munich and Real Madrid designs that incorporate SMARTRAC’s NFC tags.
 
NFC technology “has taken football innovation and design to a new level, offering both consumers and players a completely new experience,” said Roland Rommler, football hardware category director at adidas, during the Telstar 18 product launch.
 
“The Telstar 18 has NFC functionality, which enables the consumer to interact with the ball, and get multiple features and information from the ball,” Karin Fabri, head of corporate marketing and communications for SMARTRAC Group, noted. “adidas is very supportive in terms of new design elements, and this allows the consumer to connect with the brand and their product.”
 
All in all, flexible electronics are certainly getting some major play during the 2018 FIFA World Cup.