The original NPCs. Photo by rolexpv
People might not like plastic water bottles, because environment, or they simply dislike the concept of strangers hydrating themselves. I hate these bottles because if you buy an entire case of them for a party or general issue get-together, it’s easy to mix up your water bottles with someone else’s. And when that happens, you also mix up germs, spread viruses (unless you’re a terrain theory guy), and other sundry cootie-like micro-hobgoblins.
There’s an easy way to fix this, without the use of Sharpie markers that will wipe off—thanks, condensation!—if your get-togetherers even bother to mark their bottles up sensibly. The enterprising bottle printer can simply include in the label a random pairing of one emoji, or emoji-like picture, with one random, Internet-style, username (i.e, from Jimpix’s random username generator). This pairing can be taken from a set of 100 emojis and maybe 200 to 300 usernames. The pairing would be silly or conversation-worthy enough to be memorable.
Behold! An example:
Even if he doesn’t remember it exactly, the bottle-haver in question would know that random bottle sitting on the picnic table he thinks might be his really isn’t his, because the emoji-username on said bottle is definitely not his. This solution doesn’t “find” their lost bottle for him (kinda hard for a label printer to solve for forgetfulness/drunkenness), but it at least prevents inadvertent bottle poaching.
There’s no stopping an even more enterprising label printer from eventually hiring actual artists to create some interesting pieces for a limited edition printing, or a writer to craft some interesting…usernames?
There you go. Someone run with this.
2 Comments
Let me carp here. I’m a terrain theory guy, and I don’t buy very many single-use water bottles. I carry a distinctive refillable bicycle bottle for such things, and if I bring water for others, it’s filtered water in reusable gallon jugs (such as Walmart offers) and they are all labeled with my name. But yeah, someone run with that — custom stickers with something that distinguishes the bottles. I’ve got a stack of sticker label sheets for my printer, so it’s easy. Put them on before getting them cold, of course. Then again, here in Oklahoma, most of the people I know are sucking down carbonated beverages at gatherings. Yuck.
Single-use is annoying, for sure, but it works well in some situations.
I might be terrain theory. I kind of thing it’s a mix of both? I don’t know. Haven’t really dug into it much.