When it comes to flexible OLED technology, many of us think about foldable smartphones and rollable displays, but its applications may actually be limitless. Case in point: in a new tie-in for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which debuts on December 20, Coca-Cola created bottles with lightsabers that actually light up by swapping their traditional plastic labels with flexible OLEDs. These are only available to Star Wars fans in Singapore who want to participate in a treasure hunt, however (“they’re being randomly distributed to 45 secret locations across the country”).
Flexible OLEDs are currently just a little too expensive when used in consumer products that actually take advantage of their ability to, you know, flex. But this might be the perfect application for the technology at this point in time. OLED is self-illuminating, so no backlight is needed, allowing the ultra-thin panels to be tucked behind a plastic bottle’s label without looking like a bunch of electronics have been poorly hidden.