Chipotle Gets a QR Code

Who says healthy food isn't on the cutting edge?

Warbasse Design and Print2D team up to promote Chipotle's Boorito 2010
by Beth Silverstein

October 14, 2010 - Santa Monica, CA -- Warbasse Design & Print2D work together to bring Chipotle's vision for a healthier America to a mobile audience. A functional Designer QR Code introduces the mobile micro site to promote this years Boorito Costume Contest and healthy eating outreach campaign. "My design team and I eat at the 3rd Street Promenade - Chipotle every week," says Philip Warbasse CEO - Warbasse Design. "We love the quality at Chipotle and were happy to donate our expertise and services to a company that truly cares about the health of their patrons. My team really wanted to support this cause and I was all for it."

The QR Code is intricately designed with pattern fills and splashes of Autumn colors. Directions to download a reader are clearly displayed below the code.

The micro site contains a mobile streaming video that is served based on the user's device. The video is a fun look at Steve Ells and Jamie Oliver's shared interest in healthy eating. Those who wish to Tweet about, or post the video on Facebook can access links to both mobile social environments. The site also contains information about "the horrors of processed food", Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, the Boorito costume contest and counting calories.

"This integrated Chipotle Boorito mobile campaign represents a fraction of what's possible in mobile marketing," continues Warbasse, "Chipotle is clearly ahead of the curve. They see what other brands will soon realize, that the challenge for advertisers today is to focus less on communicating to their audience and more on interacting with them."

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2D Barcodes for use in television commercials. New York Times interview with Philip Warbasse

September 27, 2010 - Los Angeles, CA -- Philip Warbasse of Warbasse Design talks with Elizabeth Olson of the New York Times for an article on the use of QR Codes in television as a potential new advertising channel. The article, found here, which appeared in today's Business section of the New York Times under Advertising and Media, features a look into the future of television advertising with examples of Bluefly.com's latest marketing effort using QR Codes.

Read the full press here http://www.bonovoxpr.com/warbasse/nytimes_warbasse.shtml

I just found out QR codes are not hot today!

....perhaps Mr. Kaplan's comments should not be disregarded as completely ridiculous.

I noticed a post today in the Mobile Marketer titled "QR codes are not hot today: CTIA panelist," by Rimma Kats.
http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/advertising/7635.html

My first inclination was to dismiss the comments made by Mark. Kaplan - GEM regarding fragmentation in the marketplace and the utility of 2D bar codes. But, on second thought, I believe they bring up important points that often need to be re-iterated.

As with all new technology, there are stages of acceptance that consumers go though before they make it a part of their everyday lives. The reasons Mr. Kaplan sited for not using QR Codes represent issues we have had to address from the start and can be easily mitigated with a clear strategy in place to deliver the appropriate reader to a user's handset.

Printers, agencies, large brands and a lot of tech-savvy people are already leveraging the benefits of Integrated Media - here and now. Most of us accept that 2D bar code advertising is on the way and there is nothing to stop it. Perhaps we all need to be reminded that the real channel is "mobile" and 2D bar codes are a specialized channel within the mobile channel (after the information contained in a 2D bar code is decoded, the bar code has little if anything to do with the rest of the experience).

But, let's look at the bigger question. How do consumers come to accept and use a technology? The Technology Acceptance Model suggests that when users encounter new technology, the most notable factors that influence their decision about how and when they will use it are:
-Perceived usefulness (PU) - The degree to which a person believes that using a particular system will enhance his or her ability to experience a desired result or outcome.*
-Perceived ease-of-use (PEOU) - Defined as "the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would be free from effort".**

So, when we consider this model and "perceived ease-of-use", perhaps Mr. Kaplan's comments should not be disregarded as completely ridiculous. I feel strongly if one reads Mr. Kaplan's comments with an open mind they will serve to make your campaigns better.

When my firm embarks on a new Integrated Media campaign, one of the first questions my developers ask is "who's the audience?" I jokingly reply, "the audience is our Grand Parents, make them feel as comfortable as possible."

INTEGRATED MEDIA TIPS FOR THE NEXT YEAR
-Make the user feel comfortable and totally in control,
-Always include simple instructions to download the appropriate reader,
-Make sure whatever is behind that code makes the user feel good about the process!
-Remember the challenge is not the bar code, it's the mobile experience behind it.

*TAM PU modified Warbasse
**Bagozzi et al., 1992; Davis et al., 1989

2D Barcodes turn movie posters into point of sale displays

Here's the latest ad in our "with, without" campaign. This ad features Warbasse Design's QR Code and mobile strategy for Iron Man 2. Please click http://www.warbassedesign.com/I2_qr_ad.html to view the ad.

Conceptual art piece goes mobile. QR Codes allow access through interactive Tshirts and Prints

It can be called idealistic, maybe even sophomoric.... But, it's always interesting and a heck of a lot of fun! A perfect 2D Barcode project for the summer here in Venice. Scan the posters found at http://m.i-wish.org/iwish_qr.html to experience the project and leave a wish.

The project will debut at the Montana Art Walk in Santa Monica, CA on Thursday July, 22. It was a conceptual art project shot in Venice, CA. You can read a little about at http://www.i-wish.org/

The mobile site is here http://m.i-wish.org It features a sampling of the 50 portraits and sound clips that make up the Collection. The remaining portraits may be accessed by purchasing an interactive TShirt or print from the mobile site.

Philip Warbasse will be featuring this project at the Montana Art Walk in Santa Monica, CA Thursday night July, 22.

New ad promoting QR Codes for use on TV

After our initial work on True Blood. My agency released this one sheet promoting QR Code strategies for Television.

http://www.warbassedesign.com/TV_qr.html

What Every Printer Can Learn From The Calvin Klein QR Code Billboard

Written by Nick Palo

edited by Philip Warbasse 
edited July 16th - It should be made clear that there are many transparent variables that can have a significant impact on the outcome of any QR Code campaign including budget, timeframe, client requests, etc. The purpose of this post is to critically analyze the CK Jeans campaign from a technical and social perspective. We would like to see all printing companies take the steps that ACE has taken to bring QR Codes to their clients.
Monday I came across a blog entry featuring a new outdoor marketing campaign for Calvin Klein Jeans in New York City. The large format billboard, featuring a giant QR Code, is the work of The Ace Group (Ace) out of New York. They are an innovative printing company that offer integrated marketing solutions, including QR Codes to tie print-to-web.
In an attempt to educate Printers, I am using the Calvin Klein billboard as a case study, on how QR Code campaigns can be improved from both a technical and social perspective. In full disclosure, I am a freelance mobile developer. I have worked with both Warbasse Design and PLUSH Mobile Servers on QR Code campaigns including 9 the movie, Iron Man 2 and HBO's True Blood. Large Entertainment companies embraced Los Angeles - based Warbasse Design and PLUSH MS early on because they understood that creating and serving mobile content is not for the faint of heart. As more and more companies integrate QR Codes into their advertising, it has become clear that when developing a successful QR Code campaign, the challenge is not creating the bar code, it's the mobile experience behind it.

Using the Calvin Klein billboard as an example, we will start with the "presentation layer" or the billboard itself. Next we will look at the mobile environment. Then, we will examine the content and lastly, consider the user experience.
THE BILLBOARD AND THE QR CODEI will start by stating that I think the billboard is beautiful. The concept of a giant, traditional QR Code has impact and the large format ad is printed and displayed very well.

In terms of functionality, the code gets an A grade. Developing a good QR Code for a billboard means keeping the code "open" or "less dense." This is to compensate for smart phones that don't have auto-focus built in to the camera (most do not). In the altered photograph (below), I have used a simple technique to "open the code up" even a bit more. Note the differences between this image and the original posted at the top.

Well known companies spend a lot of money on their branding. While the billboard is branded, Calvin Klein perhaps missed an opportunity to extend their brand to the QR Code itself. By creating a designer QR Code, we can produce a distinguishable marker that will enforce brand awareness. To demonstrate, I implemented the Calvin Klein logo into the altered photograph (below), creating a functional designer QR Code.

THE MOBILE ENVIRONMENT
The mobile page behind the code (http://ckj.mobi/pr) uses lightweight redirects to point the user to one of 4 pre-optimized pages built for four different user scenarios - iphone, non-iphone, other handheld devices (ipod, Zune, etc) and the desktop browser.

For many of the newer handhelds (iphone, BB Storm, Android) this campaign works. For many more devices, the mobile experience can be less than optimal in terms of aesthetics and usability.

Above: Image to the left simulates how the Calvin Klein campaign renders on phones with displays under 240px wide. The image at right demonstrates the error message when attempting to download video. (click any image for larger view).

The best possible senario is to use a full detection platform that can deliver seamless mobile marketing campaigns regardless of the user's handset.
THE CONTENT
As mentioned above, lightweight redirects are used to drive the delivery of the content which is a video converted into 3 formats (.MP4 hinted for iphone, .MP4 non-hinted for non-iphone and .mov for other handheld devices). Two additional file formats that could have improved the overall success of this mobile video strategy are .WMV and .3GP.

WMV files reach your Windows Mobile users and many Blackberry and Nokia users. .3GP is the most universal file format supported by handhelds' today. Just as important, a central support page is always a good idea, especially if you are not using full detection servers. See the support page for Iron Man 2.

The video is served as a download, not as a stream. This requires much more in terms of patience and phone resources. Consider the average size of videos and the time it takes to download them to your phone. Streaming allows you to watch video as it is being buffered, so the user experience begins almost immediately.
THE USER EXPERIENCE
The first thing I noticed on the billboard was no call to action to download a QR Code Reader. I believe it will take time for a majority of the U.S. market to have QR Code Readers on their smart phones. We use a text engine to deliver a link back to the user in order to clear the first hurdle of any North American QR Code campaign. This is also demonstrated in the altered photograph of the billboard (above).

The mobile site contains social bookmarks to twitter and facebook which is a good way to create viral awareness. A "share with a friend" feature via SMS or Email would have also added value to this strategy - covering non-facebook and non-twitter users.
Unfortunately, the CK mobile strategy does not offer an opportunity to learn, buy, opt-in or otherwise effectively communicate. Personally, the video seemed juvenile and self-serving.
OVERALL
I think the CK Jeans billboard campaign is a good example of what's happening with a lot of QR Code campaigns right now. They are being printed well, but more consideration needs to be given to the mobile experience itself and the opportunities a good mobile experience can provide. I hope printers will embrace the idea that they can deliver true mobile environments and content to users scanning QR Codes in the future.

In conversation with Philip Warbasse / Warbasse Design - The future of QR Codes for print, TV and outdoor advertising. - BonoVox PR

Philip Warbasse and his agency, Warbasse Design, began using 2D Barcodes to tie print to the web in July of 2007. By January of 2008, Warbasse was using QR Codes to promote Lost Highway Record's golden child Ryan Adams. It was the beginning of something big and over the course of the last 3 years, Warbasse Design is responsible for creating some of the Entertainment Industry's most visible Integrated Media campaigns. Now, after his agencies work on Iron Man 2 and HBO's True Blood, I sit down with Philip to talk about QR Codes and their impact on the future of print, TV and outdoor advertising.

http://www.bonovoxpr.com/warbasse/in_convo_warbasse.shtml