• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechVirtual Reality

Shazam Wants to Mix Augmented Reality With Hornitos Tequila

By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 7, 2017, 3:16 PM ET

If you think Pokémon Go is a challenging game, try hunting those silly digital monsters after a couple drinks.

Music discovery app Shazam said Tuesday that it would now help companies, marketers, and popular artists create augmented reality apps for their promotions. The company’s first partner on its new AR initiative is the spirits company Beam Suntory, which makes several popular liquors like Jim Beam whiskey and Sauza and Hornitos Tequila.

Augmented reality is a type of technology best exemplified by the hit summer mobile game Pokémon Go, in which players could use their smartphones to hunt digital creatures that are overlaid onto the real world with the help of their phones’ sensors and cameras.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Although Microsoft (MSFT) currently sells its HoloLens AR headset, which does not require a smartphone, the device is still years away from being available to consumers at a cheaper price than its current $3,000 price tag.

Until AR technology improves to the point that companies like Microsoft (MSFT) can sell headsets at lower prices, it’s likely people will experience AR apps through their smartphones. While not as impressive or breathtaking as seeing 3D visuals come to life with the help of a headset, the phenomena of Pokémon Go showed that even on a mobile phone, AR tech has the ability to capture people’s attention and keep them glued to their screens.

Shazam said that its new so-called AR platform will let companies more easily build interactive AR apps that will be promoted to Shazam’s “massive install base,” said Shazam chief revenue officer Greg Glenday in a statement.

“The possibilities for a brand to bring their products to life or make their advertising more engaging are quite literally only limited by the imagination,” said Glenday.

Shazam and Beam Suntory did not reveal the specifics of their new AR app, only to say that it would be some sort of game in which players earn points that they can use to buy Beam Suntory-branded tequila up until the Cinco de Mayo holiday.

For more about finance and tech, watch:

A video demonstration of Shazam’s AR tech, which AR startup Zappar helped build, shows that when users hover their phones over a Shazam logo, the logo triggers their phones to display digital graphics on top of the design.

“With more than 150 years of experience producing premium tequila, we have constantly innovated throughout the years to reach consumers in new and exciting ways,” said Beam Suntory’s senior director of commercial marketing Michelle Cater in a statement.

About the Author
By Jonathan Vanian
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Jonathan Vanian is a former Fortune reporter. He covered business technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data privacy, and other topics.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Man in a suit touches servers in a rack.
Investingfraud
Supermicro’s co-founder was just arrested for allegedly smuggling $2.5 billion in GPUs to China
By Amanda GerutMarch 19, 2026
5 hours ago
InnovationUber Technologies
Uber will operate its own robotaxis again—this time with Rivian’s not‑yet‑built EVs
By Jessica MathewsMarch 19, 2026
13 hours ago
AIoriginal content
The CEO of Patreon blasts AI companies for the ‘bogus excuse’ they’re using to not pay artists
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMarch 19, 2026
14 hours ago
Elon Musk, wearing a DOGE shirt and hat, puts one hand to the brim of the hat as he stands in the Oval Office.
LawDOGE
DOGE cancelled a $349,000 grant to replace a museum’s HVAC after ChatGPT flagged it as DEI, court documents show
By Sasha RogelbergMarch 19, 2026
14 hours ago
Basecamp Research cofounders Oliver Vince and Glen Gowers photographed walking down a street wearing puffer jackets.
AIEye on AI
Could data from 100 million species help cure disease? One startup is betting on it
By Sharon GoldmanMarch 19, 2026
15 hours ago
baseball catch before betmgm ad
Cryptosports betting
MLB embraces prediction markets with Polymarket deal and a pact with federal regulators to “protect the integrity of baseball”
By The Associated PressMarch 19, 2026
16 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.