Timer in water bottle's cap reminds you to hydrate

Much ado has been made about people getting the proper amount of water to stay adequately hydrated during the day. Vittel, a French brand of bottled water, has come up with a clever way to remind folks to take a drink. The Vittel Refresh Cap was designed by marketing agency Ogilvy Paris to act as both an experiment in getting people to sip more water and as a publicity stunt.

The red cap sits on top of a normal water bottle. Screwing it into place sets a timer in motion. Every hour it goes off and pops a little flag up off the top. It's designed to get your attention just enough to gently remind you to drink more water. It makes little ticking noises like a regular timer and doesn't pester you. The low-tech approach is charming.

The bottle cap has been tested in France. Though we don't have any hard data to go on, Ogilvy Paris says, "Initial findings show people drank more water during the day and enjoyed it." The fancy cap probably doesn't make the water actually taste better, but it does seem like an entertaining addition to your water drinking routine.

You could get a similar effect with a kitchen timer, but the tiny cap-timer is a lot more fun. It doesn't appear to be available to the general public, however, so you might want to warm up your 3D printer and put your design skills to work if you want one of your own.

(Via Design Taxi)