Music to my ears: Baileys launches Sound Scales

Diageo-owned Irish cream liqueur brand Baileys has unveiled a tuneful way to determine how much drink is left inside the opaque bottle.

One of the great first world problems is working out how much you’ve drunk of a non-transparent bottle – but Baileys may have found the solution.

Called SoundScales, the online tool works by having the using open up their bottle and blowing across the top. On mobile, users are asked to select the size of the bottle they wish to test, 700 millilitre or 1 litre, and then record the sound of them blowing over the neck. The website will then calculate the approximate volume remaining in the bottle and offer a selection of serves and cocktails in which the remainder of the bottle can be enjoyed.

It’s a similar principle to how pan pipes work – a deeper note indicates that there is more air inside the bottle, suggesting that it’s relatively empty, whereas a note of a higher pitch means there is less space, ergo the bottle is fuller. This is the case because, according to Science World, the more space there is in the bottle, the slower the air molecules vibrate, whereas when there is less space (indicating more liquid), they will vibrate much faster.

Given the principle is the same regardless of the contents of the bottle, the function should work for other bottles, provided they are either 700ml or 1l in volume.

Behind the development of the tool was creative agency VML, whose chief commerce officer, Debbie Ellison, commented: “After the festive period where Baileys sees a surge in purchase and consumption, the iconic bottle and much-loved brand can often be hidden away in the alcohol cabinet out of sight and out of mind.”

“With Sound Scales, Baileys playfully turns a business challenge into an opportunity to inspire and delight consumers with treat inspiration and discounting offers in an innovative way,” she continued. “Our solution is the perfect culmination of our creative capability, linking brand experience, customer experience and commerce. It’s exciting to see Baileys continue to trial new technology to inspire its customers to try new recipes in this way.”

Last year, experts warned against pouring any leftover or unwanted Baileys down the drain, aside from it being wasteful.