Ordinarily, when a PR company contacts us and says “hey, you might want to talk about this” we usually don’t. Don’t get me wrong, they’re only doing their job, trying to get the word out and we appreciate that. It’s just that we always try to only write about things we think you guys will be interested in, rather than trying to sell you things for other people.
This afternoon, though, I got one of those emails from a PR guy (hello, Matt!) and it actually contained something that I thought was pretty interesting and might spark a bit of discussion. Please don’t feel obligated to buy the product I’m about to mention, although I’m sure our PR friend would appreciate it. It’s also interesting to note that our very own Tuffcub deals in the gas used to expel it so you’d be keeping him in exorbitant annual bonuses too.
Lynx, they of the often overused smelly sprays, have regularly been involved with ad campaigns which are targeted at gamers. They seem to be on the Xbox 360 dashboard every few weeks. This initiative, though, is slightly more imaginative than flashing Kelly Brook’s most endearing qualities and trying to get us to spray more. Although, thankfully, Kelly Brook does still feature.
Lynx have arranged to have their adverts displayed in a number of games, including the pictured Fight Night Champion and Need for Speed (we assume it’s Shift 2). That’s nothing new, dynamic in game advertising has become one of the features of this generation of connected consoles.
The interesting part is that those adverts are set to feature QR codes for the first time. These futuristic barcodes can be read with special scanners available as apps for smartphones and will direct the user to more content such as website URLs or relevant phone numbers.
We assume they’re expecting us to pause replays and hold our phones up to the screen to scan, something which you might think sounds oddly ridiculous. I probably would have agreed with you a week ago but this weekend I found myself standing in front of a surprisingly warm LCD screen trying to scan a QR code off a wall in Homefront. It took me to a complicated series of region select and age gates on the game’s official website and I quickly closed it down. So, perhaps I’m the odd one (I think that goes without saying) but perhaps I’ve anecdotally proven that this stuff works so using it for advertising seems like a sound idea.
More important than getting the codes into games, though, is the result of scanning in those codes. If we’re simply taken to a marketing portal I think that gamers will soon get tired of them and learn to ignore them. If the codes take us to opportunities for in-game tie in content and relevant information though, well, that’s a very interesting prospect and one which creative marketers might already be exploring.
MOVE
I’m probably missing it somewhere but what does QR stand for?
Burgess_101
QR code is a specific matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code), readable by dedicated QR barcode readers and camera phones. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded can be text, URL or other data.
Common in Japan, where it was created by Toyota subsidiary Denso-Wave in 1994, the QR code is one of the most popular types of two-dimensional barcodes. QR is the abbreviation for Quick Response, as the creator intended the code to allow its contents to be decoded at high speed The technology has seen a large uptake in Japan and South Korea. However, in the west there has been a considerably slower adoption of QR Codes.
wikipedia :P (it doesnt really mention what it stands for i think ?)
Burgess_101
oh wait yes it does :P
slates16
The only time I’ve come accross QR codes has been on the net on my laptop, which I find silly, as its more effort to scan them then click on a link! Seems like people are trying to be all fancy with technology for the sake of it!
3shirts
In Japan a lot of people have them on their business card as it can hold enough info to be a contact vcard. That’s a clever way of getting someones details onto your phone easily.
But I agree, sometimes people use it when it’s not needed
slates16
In print its a great idea, way easyier to scan a code than type in a URL. Over time it will find its place in the world and it will be in print.
Jumping Monks
I found one of those barcode things in GT5 a little while back. I don’t have a smart phone so couldn’t scan it. It’s on Tsukuba circuit, you’ll see it on the building when you pit in if anyone wants to check it out. There was a web address beneath it, I went to the website and didn’t understand it, all Japanese.
XisTG
I do like to have real advertising in a videogame. While i might not stand it for interrupting me from Hell’s Kitchen, in a game it makes it feel more real.
That being said, 9 out of 10 time i scanned a QR code it lead me somewhere i could have gone by myself, like the official website for said product. And that makes me angry with the brand.
Should they use QR codes? Sure. As long as the content it offers is relevant.
KeRaSh
I wouldn’t mind more in game ads and QR codes as long as the ads consist of hot women and the QR codes lead to free wallpapers of said females… >_>
kivi95
Ads are not that problem to be honest as long as it’s not pausing the game and showing a ad or too be ads on the screen. A game like GTA would be good to have ads as they don’t disturb their.
gazzagb
If say, I were to scan something, visit the website or whatever thing they wanted me to see, and in return I got some sort of code that then I could use to unlock something in the game, then yes, I could see myself doing it.
lukieboy1981
I quite like the idea, at least if it was this way it would be a choice to look at them. PS, love the smell of lynx, hate the brand.
Yung Jones
Mmmmmm Kelly Brook
Beelzie14
I saw this over the last week in Dirt2 whilst playing it. That means they have retrospectively added the ad in the form of a billboard (and the relevant QR) to some of the stadium tracks, as this Lynx ad was never there before. Thought I was going mad as I was sure that I would have noticed Kelly Brook staring tantalizingly at me before!
I love the fact that they can do this – though interesting how it would be in a Codies game and the ones mentioned above are EA. Hmmm …