Netflix Dropped ‘You’ QR Code in its 4th Season

The You QR code surprised viewers as it flashed on their screens while watching the Netflix show.

Once again, the entertainment industry how effective QR codes are at engaging viewers and generating buzz online.

Netflix dropped the first five episodes for season 4 of the hit psychological thriller series You last February 9, 2023.

“New You, new Joe.” Joe Goldberg (played by Penn Badgley) took this literally in the show’s latest installment as he adopts a new identity and makes it to London.

With the QR code’s cameo in the series, fans may be interested in creating QR codes using a highly developed QR code generator platform.

How did the show manage to add this digital innovation into the series? Find out below.

You Season 4 Episode 2: A glimpse of a QR code

The fourth season takes place in London as Joe takes on the identity of Jonathan Moore, a university professor, in an attempt to leave his dark past behind.

In the second episode, titled Portrait of the Artist, Joe discovers a black envelope in his flat.

He finds a card with a QR code printed when he opens it.

He scans the code and finds a countdown to the exhibit of Simon Soo, the son of a tech billionaire, who’s also part of Joe’s newfound friend circle of elites.

While You is an entirely fictional series, its depiction of QR codes is true-to-life.

Many industries today have used QR codes for various purposes — healthcare, restaurants, and logistics, to name a few.

‘You’ is just one of the Netflix series with QR code appearances.

Other notable series that have featured QR codes include The Umbrella Academy and Love, Death & Robots.

How QR codes on TV can elevate viewer engagement

Sharethrough’s latest research on understanding consumer behavior during TV ads revealed that QR codes improved viewers’ attention by 12%.

As digital advertising continues to take over, marketers are putting more effort into creating highly-engaging TV ads, which is why some now use QR codes to make their campaigns more interactive.

Here are three reasons why QR codes are effective for converting viewers into buyers:

1. Interactive

The problem with standard TV ads is that viewers cannot immediately take action; they’d have to call or go to the nearest department store.

But with the rise of smartphones and e-commerce platforms, adding QR codes on TV ads can boost interactivity with a brand.

Viewers can scan the code to access an online store where they can place orders instantly or a landing page where they can quickly join a special raffle or promo.

In this year’s Super Bowl, more brands used QR codes in their advertisements. Limit Break, a Web3 gaming startup company, showcased a QR code with a call-to-action, “Scan Now.”

In the entire 30-second ad, they encourage viewers to scan the code to get the chance to win one of 10,000 free digital collectibles.

Aside from grabbing the viewers’ attention, the QR code effectively elevates viewer engagement in their ad.

As lucky viewers enjoyed their free NFTs, the company made hundreds of dollars in profit.

2. Unique

QR codes on tv or shows can grab viewers’ attention and pique their interest.

It can be a new strategy to make viewers curious about your offer or where the code leads.

It also creates a positive brand impression and promotes better brand recall.

Coinbase best demonstrated this at the Super Bowl 2022. Their 60-second ad featured a QR code floating on a black screen, changing colors when it hit the corners.

Its resemblance to the iconic bouncing DVD made it both unique and nostalgic.

It stirred viewers’ curiosity, eager to know what would happen when they scanned it.

The code leads viewers to the Coinbase website, promoting a limited-time offer of $15 worth of free Bitcoin to new sign-ups and $3 million worth of giveaways.

With this strategy, Coinbase QR code-based Super Bowl ad made a buzz. In fact, their website crashed due to the massive influx of visitors.

3. Omnichannel experience

Viewers aren’t limited to the view-only experience that traditional TV ads provide.

Advertisers can enhance and upgrade the viewer experience with a QR code by leading them to engaging websites or social media pages.

While it is an excellent tool for measuring marketing campaigns on TV and other platforms, it also provides the market with an omnichannel experience.

People can experience seamless and cohesive transactions with your brand as they can reach out on various platforms, like social media, email, and even texts or phone calls.

You can meet your target market across various social channels or marketing streams.

Create QR codes you can add to TV ads using the best QR code generator

Here are some best use cases of QR codes on TV that marketers can implement in their next TV ad campaign:

Website URL QR codes

Advertisers can improve TV ad response by using URL QR codes.

This QR code solution allows you to embed online links, and audiences can access them in one scan.

Make it easier for the audience to visit your website by scanning the URL QR code on your TV ad.

This drives traffic to your website, boosting your rankings on search engine results pages.

This strategy can boost the company’s brand awareness, improve lead generation, and increase conversion rate.

Social media QR codes

Social media now plays a vital role in helping a company succeed.

The more followers you have, the wider your reach. This means more people can see your content and campaigns.

And to increase your following, you can include a social media QR code on your TV commercial.

This dynamic QR code can store multiple social media pages and other links and display them on one landing page.

This QR code solution can help marketers promote all their social media channels in one place, allowing the viewers to like and follow the pages in just a few clicks without manually searching and jumping from one app to another.

App store QR codes

App developers can easily promote their mobile app using an app store QR code.

Viewers only have to grab their smartphones, open their camera app, scan the code, and download the mobile app.

This way, you can promote the mobile app while also helping them download it instantly.

This can effectively increase the number of app downloads and the growth of mobile app users.

Coupon QR codes

No consumer can resist free coupons. This loyalty program is one of the oldest and most surefire tricks in the marketing book.

You can create QR codes for TV ads and allow viewers to scan them.

Lucky scanners can then download coupons and use them on their next purchase.

This is excellent for boosting the conversion rate.

This effectively attracts audiences to engage with the brand and buy the products or services at a lower price by scanning the code.

One best example is Burger King’s “QR Whopper” in 2020. The burger chain offered coupons for a free Whopper burger through their app.

The ad shows a floating QR code that viewers can scan using smartphones to enjoy a free burger.

7 best practices in creating TV QR codes using a QR code generator

Here are some best practices for using QR codes on TV that you should implement for a successful QR code marketing campaign:

1. Always use a call to action

It is crucial to include clear instructions and a short yet catchy call to action, so viewers will instantly know what to do with the QR code in your TV ad.

2. Use dynamic QR codes

Compared to static QR codes, dynamic QR codes are far more versatile and contain more data per pixel, making them an ideal option for TV ads.

Create a dynamic QR code using the best QR code generator for your next TV campaign.

3. Choose the right colors

Remember to apply the right colors to the QR code to make it easier for the viewers to scan it.

Your QR code should always have enough contrast, with the foreground color being darker than the background color.

4. Place in a conducive location

The QR code is an advanced digital tool, but remember, it’s useless if no one scans it.

Place the QR code in a location where viewers will quickly notice it, but ensure it does not overlap the highlight of the TV ad campaign.

5. Observe the appropriate size

Using the proper size is one way to guarantee that people will notice your QR code.

You must ensure that it’s big enough to be recognized but not too big so it won’t get in the way of the ad.

6. Avoid moving QR codes

Place the QR code in a fixed position or spot in the TV ad to allow viewers to scan it easily.

But if you’re going to move it as Coinbase did, make sure it’s not fast enough.

7. Allocate enough air time

Make the TV QR code accessible and scannable by allotting enough air time.

It would be useless if it only appears for one second since viewers won’t be able to scan it.

Elevate viewer engagement with QR codes on TV

Better viewer engagement comes from an advanced TV ad campaign.

Ads and promotions must adjust as TV viewing patterns, sources of entertainment, and preferences for various platforms continue to change.

With QR codes, you can assess your TV advertisements’ effectiveness and develop better strategies in the future.

They’re highly engaging, and you can use them for several purposes.

Use the best QR code generator now and explore various QR code solutions that suit different needs.