QR codes are becoming increasingly popular and are being used in creative ways and by top designers.
With the increasing popularity of QR codes, these two dimensional barcodes that otherwise seem rather drab, are finding themselves a part of some very cool and creative displays and uses and are being incorporated into the campaigns of some of the top designers.
A tattoo artist in Paris, France, named Karl Marc has came up with the idea of creating a QR code that is permanently inked into a person’s skin, and even found an individual who was willing to provide the necessary real estate on his body. When that code is scanned, it directs the mobile device user to YouTube video.
In Korea, a store named Homeplus has opened a store based almost entirely on QR codes.
This technique was extremely cost effective as it allowed people to see product images and scan the barcodes to purchase them without the need for the company to have an actual building, inventory, or a staff. All that was needed was a wall. These are often placed in busy subway stations so that commuters could shop on their way to or from work as though they’d stepped into a store, and have the items shipped to their homes.
Quiring Monuments now offers “Living Headstones” featuring QR codes.
These barcodes allow families to create a memorial page about their loved one, to provide pictures, information, and even videos. The codes can also allow others to leave messages of condolence or share memories about the individual.
Beyond creative small and medium sized business owners, designers are also discovering the potential of these barcodes. Many of the top brands, such as Coach and L’Oreal have already used them in their marketing campaigns this year in order to help them to drive sales.
Coach printed QR codes on its Kristin satchel mailers in the first quarter of 2012.
The mailers were created to allow smartphone users to scan the barcodes, but also provided instructions to allow the mobile device owners to access the mobile website directly. The second option was provided as they were unsure if every recipient of the mailer would know how to properly scan the code.
L’Oreal worked with Glamour during New York Fashion Week, placing the QR codes in taxis to allow consumers to learn about and purchase Lancome and Yves Saint Laurent beauty products as they travelled from one point to another.
