This one goes out to the Nomad crew…
Despite the teething issues QR codes have faced as a platform, it hasn’t stopped marketers from flocking to them in the past year. While they can be useful in certain cases, here are a few examples that remind us that they require just as much thought as any other communication medium (if not more).
1. Red Bull
Red Bull ran a campaign featuring subway ads with QR Codes. Sounds like a great idea until you consider that most subways don’t offer mobile phone connectivity, making the codes inaccessible.
2. Continental Airlines
Continental also didn’t fully think through the user experience. The airline made a QR code for its in-flight magazine, linking air miles without having to log-on to online accounts. When passengers scanned the codes (during takeoff or landing), they were directed to a page with two buttons and a pop-up window that was mostly off screen, ensuring that passengers wouldn’t be able to click through.
3. The Washington Redskins
This fail, which actually took place in 2010, featured a QR code on the team’s Facebook Page. Unfortunately, you needed a proprietary scanner to actually activate the code.
4. Esquire magazine
Esquire was singled out for featuring a QR code on a recent cover (not this one) that was positioned where the mailing label goes. Oops.
5. Nirvana’s Nevermind 20th Anniversary Edition
The QR code used to promote the 20th anniversary of Nirvana’s classic album looked cool, but proved very hard to scan, especially when featured on billboards.
