With Raksha Bandhan coming up in a few weeks, one of the country’s most trusted chocolatiers has redefined the way its consumers can celebrate the occasion this year. Cadbury and Celebrations brand of products have launched a limited edition Rakhi that comes with a built-in Bluetooth connection. It will be available for purchase directly from Amazon at Rs 825. This bundle includes the Bluetooth Rakhi and an assortment of chocolate-covered dry fruits. You also purchase the Rakhi as a standalone product too from Flipkart at Rs 325.
As seen in the promotional video and the images, it looks like any other traditional Rakhi that a sister would tie to their brother’s wrists. However, hidden at the heart of the Rakhi is a proximity sensor, Bluetooth chip and a speaker.
According to the ad campaign by the company, the Connected Rakhi wearable is meant to remind brothers of the promise they made to their sisters. While targeting siblings who’ve been away from home and visiting especially during Raksha Bandhan, the company has again made an impact during another festive celebration in the country.
Here’s how the Connected Rakhi works
Upon purchasing the Connected Rakhi from any of the e-commerce platforms, you will first need to scan the QR code and download the Connected Rakhi app. It is currently not listed on either the Play Store or App Store. The Connected Rakhi would have to be paired to your smartphone.
Next, you will need to get a voice message recorded from your brother that he would spend the rest of the day with you. This audio message will be uploaded to the Connected Rakhi via the app.
And on Raksha Bandhan, once you’ve tied the Connected Rakhi to your brother’s wrists, he will hear the audio recording each time he is not in proximity to you.
Heartwarming but flawed
This is not the first time that Cadbury has used technology to celebrate an Indian festival and promote its products at the same time. The company is known for its famous “Not Just A Cadbury” ad campaign. It used the power of AI to showcase the names of local stores and businesses during Diwali last year. During the ad campaign, it would capture the location of the user. The campaign was also aimed at helping local businesses gain customers after months of reopening from the COVID19 lockdowns.
The new campaign, although heartwarming, might have flaws of its own. There is no clarity yet about how far away the Connected Rakhi has to be to trigger the audio. So, even if he steps away for a while to get essentials, he might be haunted by his voice (all pun intended) until he reaches back home. It also doesn’t mention if the proximity can be turned off temporarily or not.
