Carling's virtual pint game tickles iPhone crowd

The application gives users the chance to complete a barslide game to win a virtual pint of Carling. The iPhone then transforms into a virtual glass and when users tap the screen a virtual pint of Carling is poured.

Users are then free to drink their virtual pint by tilting the phone.

The game and virtual pint are made possible by the accelerometer within the iPhone, which detects when you move and rotate the device.

Carling is among the first UK brands to develop and distribute a third party application following Apple's release of its Software Development Kit.

As well as topping the free games category, iPint has also reached number two in the iTunes general applications chart, beating off competition from other apps such as Facebook.

The iPint was created for Carling by Beattie McGuinness Bungay and produced in partnership with Swedish based developers Illusion Labs.

Nic Young, director of marketing communications at Carling, said: "Innovation is at the heart of the Carling brand -- through product developments like an indicator on our can that turns blue when it is perfectly chilled -- but also through emerging new technologies.

"The team have shown all their friends and work mates the iPint and everyone thought it was great."