Unfortunately I was left disappointed, as there are very few new examples online and most of the case studies I found are several years old.

Even so, here is a round up of five more examples of QR code campaign that proved to be a success. And if you know of any other decent case studies, please do flag them up in the comments section.

Verizon Wireless

This one dates all the way back to 2010 when Verizon teamed up with ScanLife to promote the array of apps available on its DROID devices.

QR codes were displayed across print ads, in-store displays, direct mail and even websites and iPad ads, linking users to a specific app on the Android Market for download or a mobile site that displayed some of the top apps.

People scanning the code with a different type of smartphone were directed to a mobile site that explained the benefits of DROID and the type of apps available.

In just over three months the campaign received more than 150,000 scans, however at the time it was ScanLife’s most successful campaign so other brands shouldn’t necessarily expect the same results. Also, there are no details of conversions arising from those scans.

The campaign’s success was attributed to having an integrated campaign across multiple offline and online channels.

Turkish Airlines

During the London Olympics Turkish Airlines used QR codes to create a scavenger hunt around the city’s bus stops.

The ‘QR Flags’ initiative required people to scan a series of codes as they travelled around London in order to win various prizes.

In order to encourage people to keep searching, the airline also set up a mobile site so that users could see the nearest QR flag location as well as their personal check-in data.

Overall the campaign drove 20,000 referrals, with visitors spending an average of one minute on the mobile site. According to inMobi this dwell time is above the norm for 75% of industries.

10 practical uses for QR codes in China 

Taco Bell

As part of Taco Bell’s ESPN College Football promotion around the Bowl Championship Series, the fast food chain printed QR codes on taco boxes and drinks cups between December 20 and February 3 this year.

The codes linked to analyst Mark May previewing upcoming games, so it’s likely that the interest dropped off following the National Championship Game on January 7.

Even so, the codes generated more than 225,000 scans which is an impressive level of engagement.

Verizon (again) achieves 200% sales increase

For this campaign Verizon displayed QR codes in-store that allowed customers to enter a promotion to win a smartphone.

Customers had to share a Verizon ad on Facebook and if one of their friends bought a phone then the original customer would be given a free mobile.

During the week that the promotion was running Verizon received an additional $35,000 in sales from an investment of just $1,000.

It seems the combination of a social element and a direct sales tactic were key ingredients in a successful campaign.

Homefront

Another case study dating back to 2011, video game developer THQ hid ten QR codes within its Homefront game that allowed players to unlock exclusive videos and wallpapers.

The codes were scanned 30,000 times within the first two days, and it soon clocked up 30,000 wallpaper downloads and 18,000 video views. 

This is obviously a unique case as the codes unlocked material that enhanced the game rather than acting as a marketing tool. For example, one of the codes played a governmental emergency broadcast video explaining a national flu epidemic, while another code placed in an extremist’s garage linked to a propaganda music video.

But while this isn’t a marketing example, it is a very creative use of QR codes and shows that people are willing to scan them for the right incentive.

11 of the most memorable brand hashtags of all time