Top QR Code Campaigns You May Have Missed

in

QR codes, or quick-response codes, have been around for nearly two decades, but it has not been until recently that companies are beginning to embrace these mysterious black and white squares. If you are still a bit in the dark, feel free to get up to speed on QR Codes by reading our short post.

 

Each week we are inundated with stories about how a brand is using a QR Code generator to create QR Codes and help increase audience engagementwithin their marketing efforts. Some are extremely creative, while others are seen as a burden to the consumer. We’re not going to rant about all the ways QR Codes have been misused; instead, we’ll be recapping some of this year’s best and most creative QR Code campaigns. So without further ado, here are our top QR Code campaigns from 2011.

 

1. Tesco: No one may be as time-stretched as South Koreans. In order to help save time, South Korean supermarket giant, Tesco, found a clever way to bring the grocery store to the consumer (see video). Tesco launched a QR Code campaign that plastered enormous images of food items onto South Korean subway walls. These images came with a QR Code, and allowed consumers to scan individual food items to be loaded in their virtual shopping cart. Once they finished their checkout, their order was processed and delivered to the consumer’s doorstep.

 

2. Heinz: Heinz Ketchup cleverly used QR Codes for their “Our Turn to Serve” promotion. The promotion gave Americans the chance to show their appreciation for those who have served in the military. By scanning the QR Code located on the bottle of ketchup, consumers were able to leave personalizedmessages to American troops. In addition, for every “thank you” received, Heinz donated 57 cents to the Wounded Warrior Project.

 

3. Starbucks: Starbucks offered a creative way for consumers tolearn more about its coffee. By incorporating QR Codes in popular newspapers and magazines, users were able to watch short videos promoting Starbucks’ new mobile payment app as well as interviews with coffee experts, its history, or information on local traditions from where the coffee was grown.

 

4. JCPenny: One of the most recent campaigns came from JCPenny.This holiday season, the clothing retailer gave consumers the option of sending personalized holiday greetings to loved ones. Once an item was purchased, users were able to scan the QR Code, record up to 60 seconds of voice, and then attach the QR Code to the gift, making the gift that much more special.

 

5. Phillips & Company: Taking QR Code advertising to an all-new level, Phillips & Co. created Blue Marble, which offered advertising space to those flying above. By painting a QR Code on the top of roofs, the company hoped to invade Google Maps with their ”scannable” codes for mobile users. As seen from this photo, it looks like the trick worked.

 

6. Victoria’s Secret: Earlier this year, Victoria’s took to the mobile advertising world and incorporated QR Codes into their undeniably clever “Sexier than Skin” campaign. The concept was simple, huge billboards were installed with nearly nude models. QR Codes were then placed over the most “revealing” areas, enticing users to scan the codes to reveal the secret – the secret being their line of women’s undergarments.

About the author

Brian Sutter, Director of Marketing at Wasp Barcode Technologies (www.waspbarcode.com). Wasp Barcode Technologies’ focus and expertise is in small business. For over 13 years, Wasp has developed a loyal base of 250,000 customers in manufacturing, warehousing & distribution, retail, government, education as well as healthcare services.

Comments

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
CAPTCHA
This question is for preventing automated spam submissions.