15 Holiday Marketing Ideas Using Christmas Day QR Code

It’s the season of giving! Be ready to double—even triple, your sales by using Christmas Day QR codes in your holiday marketing stunts.

According to recent statistics by the National Retail Foundation, Christmas is the peak point of what is known as the golden quarter in retail. 

In 2024 alone, holiday sales totaled approximately $994.1 billion, which is more than double 2004’s figure of $467.2 billion.

Imagine boosting your sales even more using the QR codes, with people scanning them more to get Christmas deals!

In this guide, we’ll give you ideas on how to strategize for your business this holiday and how to maximize an advanced QR code generator to your advantage.

15 Christmas Day QR code ideas for your ho-ho-holiday marketing 

Christmas is all about magic, joy, and if we’re being honest, stellar marketing campaigns!

But how would you turn a simple QR code into a merry one? Well, these creative ideas will show you how it helps boost your sales this holiday season:

1. Innovate dynamic promotional materials

Using QR codes on flyers, posters, or ads isn’t new, but how you use them is what’s going to make the difference.

This Christmas season, take your marketing up a notch by using QR codes to share your brand’s unique holiday spirit. 

Maybe your business donates 50% of sales to charity, runs a festive rewards program, or launches a limited-time holiday menu. Whatever it is, you can highlight it all by using a Christmas-themed QR code on your promotional materials.

You can lead customers to festive surprises, special rewards, or holiday messages that make your brand memorable even if it's through a Christmas Day QR code made for free.

2. Display a catalog of special holiday items

The Yuletide season is peak shopping time, making it the perfect opportunity to highlight your best holiday items.

Distributing flyers or brochures with a “Merry Christmas!” QR code lets you lead shoppers directly to a digital catalog of special holiday items, discounted prices, and more.

Even better, using a dynamic QR code also lets you update your catalog at any time to add new deals, promote bestsellers, or highlight popular gifts that sell fast.

This approach helps you run smooth and successful campaigns, giving shoppers easy access to your best offers while saving you time and printing costs.

3. Delight customers with exclusive holiday coupons

If there’s one thing customers can’t resist during Christmas, it’s a good deal.

That’s why coupon QR codes are a win-win for both you and your shoppers. They make it easy for customers to access exclusive discounts while incentivizing them to buy more from your store.

A QR code for multiple links is also useful to offer tiered rewards, like a 50% off for the first 200 scanners, then 30% for the next batch.

Placing them on product packaging, in-store displays, flyers, or digital ads allow shoppers to instantly redeem the coupon at checkout, making the buying process smoother and more exciting.

4. Revamp your packaging for Christmas

A well-designed QR code can do more than link to a page; it can enhance your holiday branding. 

By using a QR code generator with Christmas-themed customization, you can make sure the QR code matches the Christmas campaign with festive touches like snowflakes, ornaments, or Christmas trees.

And when scanned, they can reveal a heartwarming message, an exclusive offer, or other Christmas surprises, turning every scan into a little moment of festive delight.

When your QR code blends naturally with your holiday packaging, ads, and social media visuals, it can boost sales while staying in theme with your seasonal campaign. 

5. Create interactive Christmas cards

A simple Christmas greeting can go a long way in making your customers feel valued, which makes them more likely to come back or even spread the word to their friends.

This holiday season, a great way to show your appreciation for your customers is with interactive Christmas cards made especially for them! 

Customers who scan it can view a customized message, a festive animation, or even a personalized audio or video greeting made just for them.

By giving out a personalized Christmas card with QR code, you offer customers a simple yet thoughtful way to show gratitude and share the holiday spirit.

6. Manage Christmas charity donation drives

The holiday season is all about giving, and there’s no better way to spread the spirit of kindness than by supporting a local charity.

Setting it up is easy. All you need to do is generate a customized QR code that links directly to a donation page of your chosen organization on a Christmas QR code generator. 

It can then be added to product packaging, posters, or social media posts to make contributing quick and effortless.

By offering customers a simple way to give back, you’re not only brightening someone’s Christmas but also inspiring others to join in the joy of giving.

7. Host a Christmas concert

A Christmas Day QR code is an excellent tool for organizing and promoting your own holiday events, especially if you plan on hosting a concert. 

Using a QR code for event registration form, you can easily share event details like date, time, and location while also keeping track of everyone’s RSVPs for your Christmas concert.

Placing it on digital ads, posters, or invitations makes it a convenient way to boost attendance and streamline event management during the busy holiday season.

After the event, you can post a QR code for christmas songs so other customers can play them anytime, even outside your store, to help keep your business at the top of their minds.

8. Test the holiday knowledge with a trivia game

Who doesn’t love a little holiday brain teaser? This Christmas, turn your store into a wonderland of fun and knowledge with a QR code trivia game.

By placing a bunch of QR code Christmas ornaments around the shop, you can reveal cheerful holiday-themed questions like: “What are the names of Santa’s reindeer?” or “What color is Santa’s suit?” with each scan.

To make things even more exciting, reward your trivia champs with exclusive discounts or small holiday prizes once they complete the challenge. 

This QR code Christmas tree and decor idea offers a simple and interactive way to entertain shoppers and make their in-store experience unforgettable.

9. Be a Secret Santa

Everyone loves a good Secret Santa! It’s a fun and thoughtful way to make your customers feel valued and part of a community that appreciates them.

You can create a Christmas QR code that links to an online form where customers can enter their details, such as their name and their wish list item from your store.

Participants will be able to receive a surprise voucher or even get their chosen gift from their very own “Secret Santa.” 

It’s a creative and heartwarming way to boost engagement, spread joy, and make your customers’ shopping experience even more magical.

10. Share an interactive Christmas story 

Ever dreamed of stepping into a Christmas story? Now you can make it happen by organizing a QR code Christmas scavenger hunt that brings festive tales to life.

Placed in different places in the store, each QR code can lead to a new chapter in a heartwarming Christmas story that invites customers to explore and uncover what happens next.

As they move through your store or display, not only will they be looking for the next chapter, but they’ll also have the chance to look at and buy different products that they’ve never noticed beforehand.

This interactive storytelling experience is perfect for all ages. It captures curiosity, spreads cheer, and offers your audience a memorable experience.

11. Snap a festive memory with a holiday photo booth

Create an unforgettable holiday photobooth by setting up a cheerful Christmas backdrop filled with twinkling lights, festive décor for customers to take photos on.

The Christmas Day QR code can then be placed nearby for guests to scan and access an online gallery where they can instantly upload, customize, and download their snapshots.

You can even include fun holiday filters such as Rudolph noses, Santa hats, or frosty snowman effects just to make each photo extra merry and bright.

After all, nothing says season’s greetings quite like a picture-perfect holiday moment shared with friends, family, and customers alike.

12. Bake & share the holiday spirit

Turn holiday treats into marketing magic! 

If you own a shop for baking and culinary food ingredients, you can set up a festive booth offering free gingerbread cookies, which include a QR code that links to the recipe. 

When customers scan it, they’ll discover how to bake their own batch at home, complete with a list of all the ingredients for it that are available on a discount in your store. 

It’s a fun, interactive way to drive both engagement and sales while spreading the holiday spirit.

13. Scan your way to Christmas Day

Make your Christmas countdown even more exciting with interactive QR codes!

Set up a large, eye-catching Advent calendar display in your store where customers can scan a new QR code each day leading up to Christmas.

Every QR code can unlock a special daily reward, ranging from exclusive discounts and freebies to surprise promos and festive treats. 

And for your most dedicated shoppers, offer bonus gifts or exclusive perks to those who visit and scan every day.

It’s a fun, engaging way to drive repeat visits, build customer loyalty, and keep the holiday buzz alive all season long.

14. Boost sales with a festive raffle

Turn holiday shopping into a chance to win big with a Christmas raffle!

Simply place Christmas-themed QR codes at your checkout counters or product displays, and customers can then scan to register for the raffle to win exciting holiday prizes.

You can even encourage bigger purchases by setting a minimum spend requirement to join, boosting both engagement and sales. 

It’s a simple, festive way to reward loyal shoppers, spread Christmas cheer, and keep customers coming back for more.

15. Bundle up some holiday joy

Looking for a creative way to boost engagement this holiday season? Add a QR code to your gift baskets and let customers design their own! 

When scanned, the QR code can lead to an online bundle builder where shoppers can customize their gift baskets with chosen items from around your store.

To make it even more irresistible, you can also offer a 10% discount on personalized bundles or free delivery fee within your city or state. 

It’s an easy, interactive way to increase sales, highlight your product range, and give customers a fun, hands-on shopping experience that feels uniquely festive.

How do I create Christmas QR codes?

Make a branded QR code for your business’s holiday needs by following these quick steps:

1. Go to QR TIGER QR Code Generator online.

2. Select your desired QR code solution, depending on what you need for your campaign.

3. Enter the information you want to embed.

4. Select between Static QR and Dynamic QR, then click Generate QR code.

5. Personalize your QR code with Christmas-themed elements, colors, and more. Add your brand logo, use frame templates, and include a call to action in your code.

6. Test-scan your QR code using your smartphone to see if it works.

7. Save your customized QR code by clicking Download.

Pro tip: It’s best to save your fully customized QR code in SVG format, as this format maintains the highest image print quality while allowing you to resize it.

Why dynamic QR codes work best for Christmas Day marketing campaigns

A Christmas QR code can bring about exceptional results if you maximize it to the fullest, especially during a crucial time such as Christmas.

Edit your QR code campaign anytime

Made a typo? Need to update a link or change it completely? No problem.

With dynamic QR codes, you can easily update or replace your campaign content without generating a new code. Simply log in to your dashboard, make your edits, and hit save.

Your QR code will automatically reflect the changes in real time, whether it’s already printed on packaging or shared online. 

It’s a quick, hassle-free way to keep your campaigns accurate and up to date.

Track QR code scans

Through the use of a dynamic QR maker, you can see exactly how your Christmas marketing campaigns are performing. 

Whether it's monitoring scan counts, locations, times, or even the types of devices people use, QR code tracking helps you understand your audience and adjust your marketing strategy. 

Aside from that, a dynamic QR code software also features an analytics dashboard that highlights peak scan times and top-performing locations, perfect for fine-tuning future campaigns.

Set limits to drive urgency

Placing time limits on the validity of certain discounts and special offers gives a sense of urgency to customers, a proven technique that will help boost your brand’s sales. 

With the help of QR codes, you can easily set expiration time, dates, or scan limits to your discounts beforehand, like making your Christmas promo valid until midnight or limiting the code to the first 100 scanners.

You can even allow each unique IP address to scan the code only once, making sure that no one can take advantage of it.

Automate scan notifications

The holiday season can be a hectic time for many business owners, and oftentimes, checking up on their marketing campaign can be both tedious and time-consuming.

However with QR codes, users can just manually check their dashboard every day, or better yet,  receive automatic scan reports that are sent straight to their inbox. 

All that’s needed is to choose whether you want daily, weekly, or monthly updates, and you’ll be able to effortlessly stay on top of your campaign’s performance.

GPS tracking and geofencing

With the help of GPS tracking (with user consent) and geofencing, your business can see where each scan is coming from, as well as limit access to certain areas. 

In doing so, businesses can understand where campaigns are most successful and adapt their strategies to optimize marketing efforts in those specific areas.

Add passwords to your QR codes

Businesses can also use password protection for dynamic QR codes to limit those who can access them. 

While this may seem more useful for data only meant for authorized people, it can still be used for Christmas promotions. 

A great example of this is with loyalty programs that let you generate a unique QR code that can only be unlocked by using that member’s ID number.

After scanning and providing the correct password, members would then be able to receive freebies and special bundles, encouraging them to spend more. 

Retarget scanners

Not everyone who scans your QR code will purchase an item right away, but that doesn’t mean the opportunity is lost. 

With the retargeting option, you can reach scanners later with advertisements for products that are specifically based on their personal taste.

To do so, simply integrate your Google Tag Manager (GTM) or Meta Pixel (formerly Facebook Pixel) with your dynamic QR code. 

Once that’s finished, you’ll be able to reconnect with those leads through remarketing campaigns.

Sleighing marketing with holiday QR code: Real-world examples

Here are a few popular brands that have wrapped their holiday marketing campaigns in this digital gift:

Coca-Cola's ‘The World Needs More Santas’ quiz QR code

Coca-Cola has once again tapped into the power of QR code generators to boost its holiday marketing with the "The World Needs More Santas" campaign. 

This initiative focuses on spreading kindness and joy. Its heartwarming ad shows people from all walks of life channeling their inner Santa. 

To add an interactive touch, Coca-Cola has placed QR codes on its product packaging. When scanned, these codes lead consumers to a "Find Your Inner Santa" quiz available on the brand's app and mobile sites. 

Participants can discover their unique Santa type and receive a personalized illustration to share on social media, deepening their connection with the campaign. 

This clever use of QR codes blends digital tools with traditional marketing, creating a more engaging and immersive experience for consumers while encouraging them to spread the holiday spirit.

Cadbury’s Secret Santa Postal Service QR code

Cadbury has once again launched its Secret Santa Postal Service, making it easier than ever to spread holiday joy. 

This holiday campaign features QR codes on posters placed throughout the UK, from busy bus stops to quiet train stations and lively high streets. 

A quick scan of the code on your phone opens up the service, where you can choose from classic Cadbury treats like Dairy Milk, Oreo, Wholenut, or Fruit & Nut. 

After picking your chocolate, select your recipient, and send the gift anonymously. With 120,000 chocolate bars available, Cadbury’s initiative promises to brighten the holidays and create memorable surprises for many.

Pepsi’s holiday gift-giving QR code campaign

The Pepsi company holiday campaign cleverly combined technology with generosity. 

By adding Christmas QR codes to their product packaging, they gave consumers the chance to win cash prizes and spread seasonal cheer. 

A quick scan of the QR code launched a digital scratch-off game with rewards ranging from $5 to $25,000. 

Rather than keeping the winnings, participants were encouraged to "pay it forward" by sharing the prizes with friends and family or donating them to Pepsi’s nonprofit partner, United Way. 

This innovative strategy not only increased holiday sales but also created a sense of community and goodwill.

Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day QR codes

Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day is one of the UK’s most cheerful fundraisers, encouraging everyone to wear festive jumpers (also known as sweaters) and donate to support children worldwide. 

The campaign’s idea of wearing pre-loved Christmas jumpers highlighted not only its joyful spirit but also its growing focus on sustainability and social impact, raising over £27 million since 2012.

A standout feature of the event is its smart use of Christmas Jumper Day QR codes to simplify donations by linking directly to a unique JustGiving page, allowing supporters to donate instantly through a mobile scan.

This digital twist made fundraising faster, safer, and more accessible, which perfectly aligned with the campaign’s mission to make giving both fun and meaningful.

Mcdonald’s Reindeer Ready QR codes

McDonald’s UK’s Reindeer Ready campaign is an all-time festive favorite that brings the magic of Christmas to life through digital innovation. 

Since 2019, the trend has invited millions of families to “get reindeer ready” with charming holiday ads, limited-edition Reindeer Treats (carrot sticks), and charitable partnerships with FareShare.

But the best part of the campaign is its clever addition of a Christmas Day QR code app feature. By scanning the code in-store or through the McDonald’s app, users can install the Reindeer Ready Live AR experience.

The AR experience allows users to create magical, shareable videos of Santa’s reindeer visiting their homes.

Blending nostalgia, technology, and convenience, McDonald’s transforms a simple scan into a moment of pure Christmas wonder.

Reese's DJ Santa QR code

Reese’s 2024 DJ Santa Christmas campaign involved an advent calendar that hides mini peanut butter cups behind each door, along with daily QR codes that unlock a fun digital claw game.

Players can try their hand at filling DJ Santa’s head with peanut butter for a chance to win instant prizes, from festive music playlists to a £5,000 jackpot. 

Every participant is guaranteed to win at least once, which keeps engagement high and the excitement going all season long.

Available across all major UK supermarkets, the festive range also includes themed treats like Peanut Butter Trees and DJ Santa’s Disco Lights, designed to boost seasonal sales and spread Christmas cheer through sweet treats and even sweeter prizes.

Have a merry, merry, Christmas sale!

With a little creativity and a strategically placed Christmas Day QR code, your marketing campaign can go a long way in spreading cheer and driving sales. 

As you plan your holiday marketing, don’t just deck your halls, deck your campaigns with QR codes by using the best QR code generator to add a festive flair, track your success, and give your audience something worth scanning for.

Because when you combine the magic of Christmas with the power of QR codes, your brand won’t just celebrate the season; you’ll sleigh it. 

FAQ

How do I give a QR code as a gift?

If you plan to give your friends QR codes as part of their gift, all you need to do is create a custom QR code that links to something special, like a personal video message, audio greeting, or a curated playlist.

Once your QR code is ready, print it on a card, sticker, keychain, or even directly on the gift for a personal touch.