My colleague Lynn sent around an interesting link yesterday. Apparently, Calvin Klein has revolutionized outdoor advertising by running a billboard in major US cities that is just one big QR code:
This 2-dimensional barcode, similar to the Mobio one we used on our iheartmom campaign, is read by camera phones (with the right apps) to unlock online content.
In the case of the Calvin Klein billboard, it was this "uncensored" content:
Not exactly shocking stuff, but I'm sure it will get people with the right technology to check it out. And in advertising, getting people to take the time to interact is everything these days.
As well, this mashup of two hot trends — QR and augmented reality (AR) — is newsworthy in itself. It doesn't matter if many of the people who view your ad don't have the time or hardware to view it properly. As viewers of Mad Men's new season opener are aware, innovation and guts in the marketplace generate its own PR rewards.
If you've been watching Joannie Rochette's iheartmom video on YouTube, or if you visited iheartmom.ca, you probably noticed a funny little piece of abstract art with a "Mobio" logo on it.
You may also be wondering "what IS that thing?"
Mobio Identity Systems is a Vancouver company that has developed a new way to make electronic payments, get information, or connect with specific content via smartphones.
Don't worry, before we started this campaign, I hadn't heard of them either. But our client, the University of Ottawa Heart Institute had. They premiered the technology on their annual telethon on CTV a few weeks ago, on March 28.
"The Ottawa Heart Institute has always been on the cutting edge of technology and we believe Mobio will increase their donation base and encourage a new generation of young mobile smartphone users to donate to this worthy organization."
So how does it work? They included this handy video:
The telethon raised over $5 million, actually exceeding its goal. How many donations came via Mobio? According to the Ottawa Citizen, the high-tech gimmick helped "a bit".
But such is the case for early adopters. MobioID sees great potential for fundraisers in this technology, especially with the 45-and-under crowd, including:
• Ability to inject innovation into the widely traditional telethon space. • Ability to target younger audiences and appeal to Gen X and Y. • Increased geographical reach (Mobio barcodes can go viral on Twitter, Facebook, email and phone to phone) • Ongoing donations possible post-event (once a custom barcode is created it can be used indefinitely in print, advertising, TV, T-shirts etc.)
Of course, the application also holds great promise for e-commerce, allowing on-the-spot impulse purchases from anywhere.
Now that you know what Mobio is, you'll probably start to notice it popping up in geekier circles. Just last weekend, I put down my copy of SuperFreakonomics (which is hard to do) and noticed a Mobio 2-D barcode on the back cover, with an invitation to get more info.
