Previously slow to take off, QR codes have gone mainstream. With help from the COVID-19 pandemic, which pushed forth contactless solutions that connect physical and digital experiences, QR codes are seemingly everywhere today — P-O-P materials, packaging, billboards, circulars, restaurants and, more recently, streaming/TV ads. And more consumers are interacting with them too. About 89 million smartphone users in the U.S. scanned a QR code on their mobile devices in 2022, up 26% compared to 2020, according to a Statista study — which also projects that number would reach 100 million by 2025. With the increased usage of these scannable codes, brands and retailers have had time to experiment with new ways to leverage them. On the following pages, we present a sampling of how brands and retailers are using QR codes to create omnichannel marketing efforts and interact with consumers.
Mars Inc.’s M&M’s utilized QR codes on national floorstands and quarter-pallets promoting a massive “Flipping the Status Quo” campaign that spotlighted its female spokescandies and was intended to empower women. The displays stocked limited-edition packs at retailers, including Albertsons Cos. and Circle K, with a QR code linking to a campaign page within MMs.com. Additionally, a QR code on an account-specific violator at Meijer directed shoppers to information on the campaign within the retailer’s website.
Bic promoted the launch of its EasyRinse razors by running a national instant-win game with overlays at multiple retailers. At Walmart, an endcap display stocks the new SKUs and promotes the game, with a QR code linking to the entry site Unclogged.Bic.com. Spotted in April, the display depicts comedian Eric Andre and actress Annie Murphy, who both starred in a Bic 30-second TV spot that aired in March for the SKU’s launch.
Commercial cleaning company Ecolab launched a retail product line, Ecolab Scientific Clean, exclusively at The Home Depot in February. The company used a QR code on a dedicated endcap display header to link to a brand showcase within HomeDepot.com where products could be browsed by both category and packaging type.
Unilever’s Persil is adding accessible QR codes (AQR), developed with AR solutions provider Zappar and the Royal National Institute of Blind People, to a range of packages. The goal is to create a more inclusive experience in stores and at home for the U.K.’s 2 million blind and partially sighted people. Scanning the enhanced AQR code on select product packaging provides product, usage, safety and recycling information in a structured way. The code also interacts with a smartphone’s configured accessibility features to display information in larger text or in audio-described and voice-guided formats.
In December, Clorox Co.’s Burt’s Bees launched an exclusive, limited-edition holiday collection at Target, created through a partnership with artist and poet Cleo Wade. Comprising 20 gift sets in packages depicting Wade’s illustrations, each SKU carried a QR code that shoppers could scan to register to receive 30 days of email affirmations from Wade.
Through its Coca-Cola Creations innovation platform, The Coca-Cola Co. in February debuted its first limited-edition flavor of 2023 at retailers nationwide. Coca-Cola Move cans and bottles include an interactive QR code that serves as a portal to the Coca-Cola Creations hub, which features multiple cinematic experiences. Among them are behind-the-scenes content of Spanish singer Rosalia recording her song that was inspired by the drink, a music video and a personality quiz that creates custom 3D, metaverse-inspired avatars and playlists based on users’ responses.
Galderma Laboratories’ Cetaphil skincare brand launched a skin analyzer tool that offers personalized skin assessment scores and regimen recommendations in seconds using artificial intelligence. Consumers can access the Cetaphil AI Skin Analysis tool by scanning a QR code on the brand’s website and taking a bare-face selfie. The technology compares a user’s photo to a database of 70,000 diverse skin images to create the customized report detailing one’s skin type, concerns and proneness to various skin conditions.
Vintage Wine Estates’ Bar Dog wine brand utilized a QR code to complement a recent exclusive activation at Kroger, depicting it on the brand’s Bark Mobile trailer, which made a number of stops at select Kroger stores. The QR code links to a landing page within BarDogWine.com that requests users’ information to receive exclusive information and offers. The trailer visited multiple stores in March, offering pet parents free dog tag etchings and a wine tasting.
Litehouse deployed a branded pallet display merchandising freeze dried chives at BJ’s Wholesale Club that depicted a QR code on the skirt as well as on corrugated shelf bins atop the display. The code invites shoppers to scan to learn more about freeze dried herbs and why they taste so great. The code links to a dedicated landing page within LighthouseFoods.com that illustrates why consumers should choose freeze dried herbs.
The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) Educational Foundation launched a P-O-P pilot program with Dollar General in 2022 to help shoppers choose over-the-counter pain relievers from three CHPA CPG member companies: Haleon, Johnson & Johnson and Perrigo, maker of private label DG Health. The program includes educational signage at 19,000 Dollar General stores that drives shoppers to the CHPA foundation’s bilingual online OTC pain relief assessment using Vestcom’s data-integrated shelfAdz tags and QR code deep-link technology.
A four-sided, summer-themed pallet display at Kroger stocks a variety of sun care items from multiple brands and depicts a QR code under messaging inviting shoppers to “learn more sun truths.” The code links to a similarly branded landing page offering nine tips for sun and heat safety in the summer that users can view via links to dedicated webpages within all of Kroger’s chains.
