Dunkin Donuts is using QR codes on their promotional posters for their “Men in Black” campaign.
The code allows for easy access to a custom mobile app. I like the alien styling!
QR code on a table tent at Finale Restaurant. It leads to their Facebook page where visitors can enter a contest.
Only in Hong Kong. Unilever launched a guerilla campaign to promote Clear shampoo that helps men keep a healthy scalp. They created the “QR hair tattoo” and had brand ambassadors, including a local celebrity, walk around the city with these scannable codes on the backs of their heads. It was just crazy enough to work.
The campaign brought about a 400% increase in traffic to the website and reached more than 10 million people through PR efforts.
via 2D code
Yellow Pages
Yellow Pages places AT&T proprietary 2D code on the cover of their phone books to allow users to access a “special offer or more info.”
I respect the fact that Yellow Pages, quickly becoming a relic of the past, is trying to stay fresh by using new technologies but this is not exactly the way to go. The AT&T codes can only be scanned by the AT&T reader app and will not work with the standard readers. It is this lack of code standardization that will continue to frustrate users and keep the 2D codes from going mainstream.
via 2D code
Sun-Maid Links Kids to Kung Fu Action
Sun-Maid has partnered with Dreamworks Animation and is placing QR codes on six-packs of raisins in an effort to link kids to a special mobile site based around the new film Kung Fu Panda 2.
The site features movie trailers, character bios, downloadable computer wallpaper designs, and a chance to win a trip to Zoo Atlanta for a VIP tour of its Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Giant Panda Conservation Center.
This seems like an effective use of QR codes to link the growing market of young smartphone users to online content on the spot. The mobile site allows users to immerse themselves into the world of the movie and gets them to buy raisins at the same time.
via PR News Wire
TV As a Point of Sale?
Mobio Identity Systems just signed a 15 month exclusive contract with Shaw Media, operator of one of Canada’s largest conventional TV networks, to help bring QR codes to the broadcast platform.
Already common in print ads, Mobio is envisioning QR codes on television screens and within the standard commercial pods. The company is creating a “seamless experience” that will allow TV viewers to essentially “make a purchase with a scan” without the need to insert payment information for each transaction.
Imagine being able to buy a product, enter a contest, or donate to a charity by simply holding up your phone from your couch. This is an exciting development for 2D codes. However, I am a bit concerned about the decision to use a proprietary code system. I know Mobio is in this for the money but the lack of standardization continues to be a roadblock for QR codes to go mainstream.
It will be interesting to see how successful this partnership is in Canada and if any U.S. broadcast companies follow suit.
I really like how Best Buy has implemented QR codes into their price tags on products in-store.
The codes, when scanned, lead you to product info and other details. It is a great way to add depth to the printed information. The codes act as a great assistant to store clerks and are aimed are allowing customers to make informed purchasing decisions.
