The Best QR Code Marketing Campaigns of All Time

The best QR code marketing campaigns are those that take the marketing world by storm and leave a lasting impact on audiences worldwide.

These pixelated marvels have found their place on billboards, social media posts, runways, blockbuster movies, and even in the night sky. 

In this article, we’ll delve into the best, most controversial, and wildly successful QR code marketing strategies, all made possible with the help of an online QR code generator software. 

Learn how big brands across industries use QR codes in their marketing campaigns.

10 of the best QR code marketing campaigns

If you’re wondering how industries use QR codes for marketing to promote their brands, pay close attention to how these companies have skillfully executed their QR code campaigns for successful marketing:

Yuengling: The world’s largest QR code

America’s oldest brewery made headlines with their enormous QR code project in August 2022, spanning a staggering quarter mile by quarter mile—equal to 20 football fields! 

This massive QR code paid tribute to the American Armed Forces. Scanning it from an aerial perspective led to various actions. Scanners can:

• Donate to Team Red, White & Blue—the brewery’s charity partner
• Engage with Stars & Stripes’ digital content
• Watch the music video of country star and Yeungling ambassador Lee Brice
• Win concert tickets
• Shop at Yuengling’s online gift shop 

Adidas: A ticket to FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar

Adidas, the official brand partner of the FIFA World Cup 2022, captured the hearts of sports enthusiasts with their ingenious QR code ad campaign. 

They unveiled a QR code in a captivating short film featuring Bollywood superstar Ranveer Singh.

Scanning this code allowed sports fans to win a 4-day trip to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, stirring excitement among the audience.

Budweiser’s scavenger hunt for FIFA World Cup 2022 tickets

An effective QR code marketing campaign catches people’s attention and curiosity, getting them to engage and participate. This one’s a worthy example.

Budweiser, the official beer sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2022, set off a QR code-based scavenger hunt on August 13—100 days before the event. 

Scattered strategically at locations meaningful to Budweiser’s sponsored athletes, these QR codes built excitement among soccer fans. 

A teaser featuring soccer superstars Messi, Neymar Jr., and Sterling further fueled anticipation. Lucky scanners could win signed memorabilia, a year’s supply of beer, and free World Cup tickets. 

NBA 2k22: Scanning to score free NBA star cards

NBA fans across six states in America embarked on an extraordinary journey to scan QR codes for free NBA star cards. 

The National Basketball Association (NBA) released six QR codes, each tied to the home city of NBA stars—Boston, Brooklyn, Charlotte, Dallas, New Orleans, and Portland. 

Scanning all six QR codes rewarded fans with coveted Amethyst Giannis and Devin Booker cards. 

The NBA’s QR code campaign made a slam dunk in connecting with its target audience.

Coinbase’s Super Bowl QR code ad

Cryptocurrency exchange platform Coinbase grabbed attention during the Super Bowl with an eye-catching 60-second QR code ad. 

The ad featured a QR code floating on the screen, changing colors when it hit the corners during the commercial break—reminiscent of the early 2000s bouncing DVD screensaver. 

It directed users to an exclusive Super Bowl promotion on Coinbase’s landing page. Those who scanned the QR code could score cryptocurrency prizes and snag unique discounts on trading fees.

Surprisingly, the Coinbase ad garnered over 20 million scans in just one minute, causing a brief crash in the website due to the massive entry of visitors. 

As a result, Coinbase’s mobile app escalated from a modest 186th place to a remarkable 2nd place in the App Store charts. 

UCF football team’s jersey QR codes

The University of Central Florida (UCF) Spring Game players made waves by replacing traditional jersey numbers with custom QR codes. 

Scanning these QR codes led fans to the players’ profiles on the UCF athletes’ website, offering access to social sites, websites, and branded merchandise. 

Huge QR code in the sky for Halo promotion

On March 2022, a massive QR code formed by a fleet of 400 drones appeared in the night sky at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas.

Paramount+ collaborated with ad agency Giant Spoon in organizing this mesmerizing aerial display as a promotional stunt for the sci-fi series Halo.

The QR code redirected intrigued onlookers to the series trailer on YouTube.

Love, Death + Robots: Scan QR codes for NFT art pieces

Fans and viewers were in for a treat as Netflix released the third season of the  Love Death + Robots series. There were nine QR codes hidden within the episodes, social media posts, and display ads. 

The Love Death and Robots QR code leads to a collectible NFT artwork when scanned, unlocking a new dimension of engagement for fans and collectors.

Marvel Series: Unveiling QR code secrets

Marvel’s use of QR codes is a remarkable illustration of how to captivate fans exceptionally.

They hid QR codes in shows like Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. When scanned, the codes led people to free, downloadable digital comics. 

These strategically placed Easter eggs delighted fans, prompting them to share their discoveries on social media, Reddit, and the press.

The results were staggering. For instance, the Moon Knight QR codes got 2.5 million hits on its landing page and an impressive 750,000+ downloads of the bonus comic book.

Central Saint Martin BA Fashion Show: QR codes on the catwalk

During the Central Saint Martin BA Fashion Show in May 2022, all 115 graduating fashion students unveiled their creations on a two-story runway. 

The spectators marveled at the avant-garde, sculpted, and monochromatic designs, but what stole the show were three huge boxes printed with QR codes.

Christie Lau was the genius behind this fashionable ploy. Each QR code led to an Instagram filter showing an augmented reality of her designs.

Fashion meets technology in this stylish and tech-savvy showcase.

How can QR codes be used for marketing campaigns?

Brands can use QR codes as dynamic and interactive elements in marketing campaigns, reflecting the latest QR code marketing strategies. 

Here’s how QR codes provide an edge for successful campaigns:

1. Quick and easy customer engagement

QR codes are the core of the best QR code marketing campaigns, offering an instant connection between your audience and your brand. 

With a quick smartphone camera scan, potential customers can access your website, product information, exclusive offers, and more. It’s one of the best digital marketing tools to grab attention and drive engagement.

2. Seamless mobile experience

There are 6.92 billion smartphone users worldwide today, and this whopping number has driven businesses to optimize their campaigns for mobile users constantly on the go.

And since it only takes a smartphone to scan them, QR codes can help improve the mobile user experience.

You can guide your customers to mobile-optimized landing pages, simplify app downloads, or immerse them in interactive content like engaging videos and insightful surveys. 

It’s not just about convenience; it’s about crafting a frictionless journey for your valuable audience. 

Using QR codes empowers your users to seamlessly access what they need when needed while enhancing their overall engagement and satisfaction.

3. Contactless marketing

The rise of contactless interactions in a post-pandemic world has made QR codes a safe and preferred choice for delivering various information, such as marketing content. 

Customers can access your campaigns with just a quick smartphone scan. And if they find anything appealing or exciting, they can tap buttons leading to your website or online shop.

4. Analytics tracking

Dynamic QR codes are advanced QR codes that have tracking features, allowing you to monitor the scan metrics of your QR code campaigns. These include:

• Total and unique scans
• The time a user scanned the code
• Top locations where scans came from
• The device type used in scanning

This handy QR code tracking feature lets you easily track the engagement your campaigns are getting from target audiences—be it printed or digital.

You can determine whether your campaigns are doing well with these essential data. And when you see that they’re not, you can quickly develop clever solutions or improvements.

5. Boost offline-to-online integration

QR codes are the ultimate link between your traditional offline marketing strategies and the digital world’s vast opportunities. 

They provide a direct and engaging connection for your audience to explore, interact with, and engage in your brand’s online presence, promotions, and content.

6. Gamification

Marketers can enhance engagement with fun games that will get people intrigued and involved. And they can seamlessly integrate QR codes to provide quick access to these.

For instance, they can incorporate hidden QR codes in promotional materials. These codes can lead to intriguing puzzles or mind-boggling riddles, and a special prize awaits once users solve these.

Encourage customers to scan and discover exclusive discounts or access unique content, turning your marketing strategy into an entertaining experience.

7. Exclusive promotions and discounts

You can use an advanced QR code generator to create QR codes that lead your customers to enticing limited-time offers, loyalty rewards, or special deals.

Add these codes to product packaging, and ensure they’re on a spot that’s easy to notice and scan. And to surely engage consumers, add a compelling call to action that will catch their attention and make them curious.

8. Product information and reviews

Giving your customers valuable insights means providing them with information that enhances their understanding of your products or services. 

You can use QR codes to connect them with comprehensive product details and authentic reviews that enable them to make more informed decisions.

9. Event promotions

Organizing or hosting a live event or a virtual gathering? An event QR code can help you with that. This contactless marketing tool can provide various tech-savvy benefits to guests.

You can add QR codes to your event promotion materials so that interested people or those invited to the occasion can scan them to check important details.

The QR code can lead to online registration forms, guides to the venue, event programs, and video conference access for virtual events.

10. Enhanced customer feedback

QR code campaigns don’t always focus on product promotions. These can also aim to gather consumer feedback to improve your products and services.

Gather valuable customer insights using a feedback QR code linked to online surveys and feedback forms.

With this strategy, people can scan the QR code and quickly enter their reviews, complaints, or suggestions about their experience with your brand.

Why dynamic QR codes are essential for effective marketing campaigns

Real-time campaign insights

In case you didn’t know, dynamic QR codes have tracking features. These trackable QR codes provide real-time insights into campaign performance. With dynamic QR codes, you can:

• Measure engagement: You can check the number of scans, the location of scans, and the devices used, which helps you understand user behavior.
• Optimize campaigns: Real-time insights give you the power to make data-driven decisions. Suppose you notice a particular aspect of your campaign isn’t performing well. In that case, you can adjust it to improve engagement and conversion rates.
• Enhance user experience: By analyzing the data collected from dynamic QR codes, you can refine the user experience. It may involve optimizing the content you link to, ensuring it’s more relevant and valuable to your audience.
• Maximize return on investment: Tracking campaign performance allows you to calculate your ROI accurately. This knowledge is essential for making informed decisions on where to allocate your marketing budget for the best results.

Easy data updates

Dynamic QR codes also allow users to update the embedded content from your marketing campaign without the hassle of creating new ones.

QR TIGER is a user-friendly QR code generator that offers a streamlined experience through its intuitive dashboard, making editing easy. 

It saves time and conserves resources, as you won’t need to print new codes continually for every campaign update.

Versatile integration

With dynamic QR code’s exceptional adaptability, marketers can incorporate them into various marketing materials such as flyers, brochures, and product packaging.

This adaptability guarantees that QR codes can effectively connect with your audience across various channels, optimizing your marketing efforts for the best QR code marketing campaigns.

And here’s more: You can also integrate dynamic QR codes with software applications like Zapier, HubSpot, and Canva.

These software integrations allow you to automate processes and connect different tools for more dynamic and personalized marketing efforts.

Cost-effective subscription

Investing in dynamic QR codes is a financially wise decision in the long run due to their adaptability in updating marketing campaigns without the expense of reprinting QR codes.

This lets brands and marketers stay responsive to evolving market trends and customer preferences for a relatively small cost compared to other marketing tools. 

It will also allow them to allocate their marketing budget more efficiently, allocating resources to other essential aspects of your strategy.

Looking ahead: The QR code revolution goes beyond

QR codes gained global popularity amid the pandemic as they were handy in contactless transactions. But most people believed they’d be gone by the end of this health crisis.

Contrary to these expectations, QR codes have not only endured but thrived. In the current landscape, they have evolved into indispensable assets for the best QR code marketing campaigns. 

Businesses and individuals alike have enthusiastically used QR codes in marketing trends to maximize the effectiveness of their campaigns.

You can find them on menus, magazines, TV shows, billboards, business cards, and product stickers—proof of their versatility.

QR code expert and QR TIGER CEO Benjamin Claeys sees even more significant potential for this technology. 

Claeys predicts that QR code usage will surge further by 2025. He envisions these codes facilitating mobile payments, online and offline marketing, and the growing popularity of augmented reality (AR) advertising.

Many individuals now prefer mobile payments through QR codes, which is why the global QR code payment market has expected growth to exceed $35.07 billion by 2030.  

As marketing digitalizes, QR codes will be pivotal in enhancing customer experiences and expanding market reach.

By incorporating dynamic QR codes, your marketing strategy can stay agile and responsive in an ever-evolving digital landscape. 

Don’t miss the opportunity to stay ahead of the curve and leverage the potential of dynamic QR codes for your brand.

Kickstart your QR code marketing with the best QR code generator

The best QR code marketing campaigns mentioned above have surely helped companies and brands make a mark in their respective industries and connect with their customers on a brand-new level.

And just like them, you can also create a QR code campaign that will let you achieve your marketing goals, be it a boost in brand recognition, wider audience reach, or increased sales.

Trust QR TIGER for your QR codes. As the most advanced QR code generator, it has a wide range of powerful solutions and advanced features that will surely help you.

Discover the potential of this versatile technology and kickstart your marketing campaigns today.

FAQ

Are QR codes good for marketing?    

Yes, QR codes are a valuable and effective tool for marketing. They provide a direct and interactive way to engage with customers and bridge the gap between offline and online marketing efforts.

By using dynamic QR codes, you can have comprehensive tracking and analytics, surpassing traditional advertising methods. 

They enable you to monitor essential metrics like scan rates, user locations, device types, and scan times, empowering data-driven marketing strategies and precise campaign measurement. 

What big brands use QR codes?

IKEA and Coca-Cola are among the many prominent brands that have successfully incorporated QR codes into their marketing strategies. 

For instance, Coca-Cola uses QR codes on its packaging to provide consumers instant access to interactive promotions and digital content, creating an immersive brand experience.

Similarly, IKEA’s QR code campaign lets customers scan the codes found around the store to access product information, pricing details, and reviews from other smartphone users. 

This streamlines the shopping experience with essential information to make well-informed purchases.