Depends; is your glass
half-empty or –full?
Earlier this year the creative minds of BBDO New York
developed a quick response (QR) code campaign for Guinness that’s truly first
of its kind – activated by the product itself!
That’s right, just when you thought QR codes had served
their (proved devoid of) purpose,
comes a new way to interact with the technology.
When empty or filled with a competing, amber-colored brewsky,
the QR code is nothing more than an illegible, nonsensical spread of white
squares. Only the dark, rich, signature black of a Guinness completes the code,
turning the glass (and drink itself) into interactive and dynamic social media
content.
But a QR code is only
as good as where it takes you…
Like opening an elaborately wrapped Christmas gift only to find
a single pair of white socks; the Guinness cup is cute, but for the most part, fails
to impress.
Once scanned, the QR code acts as a conduit to all your social
media personas. It can tweet about your Guinness pint, check you in on
foursquare, update your status on Facebook – it even invites friends to join
you out and provides you with coupons and other discount offers.
Then what?
No, seriously? It’s cool in that it’s unique and new. But
after the novelty wears off (approximately
25 seconds), what is the user left with? I guess the subtle reminder that
the rich, bold color and flavor of Guinness is unique in the marketplace? But just because
it can activate a code doesn’t mean it is ideal for my palate.
Every brand thinks
they need to use QR codes right now; that it will make them appear "hip" and "cool."
Creative teams – in-house
and agencies alike – have got to learn to how to say, "No. QR codes
are useless."
We don’t know what we expect QR codes to do exactly, but we’ll
know it when we see it (and this isn’t
it).
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