Budweiser’s Buddy Cup is Facebook-enabled

Facebook really is everywhere. Budweiser Brazil has announced the creation of a Facebook-enabled glass called the Buddy Cup.

Here's how it works: When two Buddy Cup-holding revelers toast each other by tapping their cups, they become Facebook friends through a chip that's embedded in the cups.

According to the promotional video, the cup is being tested in Brazil. A message in the clip's YouTube description says, "Soon you will also be able to make friends with just a toast in the Budzone of Budweiser major events. Stay tuned!"

So, what's the point? TheDrum.com reports that the "aim of the 'Buddy Cup' is to enhance brand activation and increase the interaction between Budweiser consumers attending the brand’s sponsored parties, concerts and festivals." Or, in noncorporate speak, to make money.

The online feedback is mixed so far. Tech blog BetaBeat writes, "In the olden times, clinking your beers together with a stranger was a sign of celebration—a mutual agreement that things were about to get weird. The fact that you’d never have to see them again or explain why you puked down the front of your shirt was a significant part of the appeal. Now, Budweiser is about to destroy that sacred experience with the introduction of the Buddy Cup."

But Gadget Review thinks the idea might have merit. The blog calls the Buddy Cup "an interesting idea, and one that could actually work in bars."