Tweeters Pay For Tea Around Hashtag

A vending appurtenance that gives customers iced tea in lapse for tweets has been commissioned in Cape Town, South Africa.

Launched by South African soothing drinks firm BOS Ice Tea, the vending appurtenance is called Bev.

To take a giveaway representation of BOS Ice Tea, users must be twitter a particular hashtag, the # pitch ordinarily used on micro-blogging service Twitter to pick out topics.

The splash is done from Rooibos, a local plant used to make normal tea.

To make the appurtenance reply to tweets, its developers configured a definite hashtag as a filter.

When the hashtag appears on Twitter, the vending appurtenance checks it and - if scold - gives out a drink.

The twitter is then displayed on a shade on the front row of the machine.

Users can moreover follow Bev on Twitter, and turn friends with it on Facebook as well.

There is no partnership with Twitter. The micro-blogging service told the BBC that it would not criticism on the initiative.

Social media possibilities

Although there is usually a such appurtenance for now, it will shortly go on a debate around South Africa, to "interact physically with as many people as possible", BOS co-founder Grant Rushmere told the BBC.

"We use sampling at length to publicize the product," he said.

"Our goal, whilst sampling, is to emanate fun, interactive and moving environments to do so."

Twitter's recognition in South Africa was growing, mentioned Mr Rushmere, and the plan would denote the imaginative ways to use amicable media.

"Bev the vending appurtenance is just a e.g. of many not similar ways you do this.

"If a giraffe on a bicycle gives you a BOS Ice Tea a day, you will see what I mean."