How does a German online shoe store grab some attention in the real world? Well, a virtual shoe fitting installation makes sense right? Yep, here it is, the Virtual Shoe Fitting Store from Goertz, an Augmented Reality, Microsoft Kinect powered installation that is plugged into a giant screen, then rolled out as virtual shoe stores at central stations and shopping centres across Germany.

Using 3x Microsoft Kinects, a beefy computer and giant screen, this virtual shoe fitting station is basically an Augmented Reality Shoe Store, tracking 3D versions of their entire range of online shoes to your feet, allowing you to choose your favourite brands, flip through colours, sizes and then post to Facebook for feedback before buying on your mobile via a dynamic QR code that is displayed on screen.

I love the way they’ve been about to create physical ‘virtual’ stores with the full product range. A solid investment, but probably still a fraction of the cost of building real stores! Very cool.

Text: Digital Buzz Blog

Just about every other week I get asked about QR codes, you probably do too… Most people will ummm and arrr about their uptake and effectiveness, but it’s only because they don’t think about the post-scan experience properly, and typically fail to get creative enough to get results.

Well, not Scandinavian Airlines, who recently launched the “Couple Up to Buckle Up” 2 for 1 campaign that used two unique QR codes across every touch point (emails, facebook app, banners, print ads .etc), leveraging an insight into how couples most commonly book trips.

Couples would each scan the QR code assigned to them, which would sync their half of a video based offer (if they user is smart enough to scan/play at the same time) and reveal the discount code split across both screens . Now that’s cool. Created by CP+B.

Text: digitalbuzz

Turquoise Cottage, a bar/restaurant in New Delhi, took the QR concept to the bar scene. They wanted to encourage patrons to have a fun, exciting and responsible night. Knowing that typical patrons in the area typically went out drinking for 5 hours, they wanted to create a campaign where they could provide a unique experience. Introducing the Buddy Stamp. The Buddy Stamp was a replacement of the typical bar stamp that one received upon entering the bar. Instead of the typical bar stamp, they replaced it with a QR code. When the QR code was scanned from 8pm – 10pm, patrons received bar offers and discounts on some of their favorite drinks. From 10pm to 6am, the QR code scan provided local cab service numbers. From 6am to 4pm, the QR code scan provided hangover tips.

It’s a somewhat interesting concept that utilizes the same QR code for several different interactions. Over 85% of bar patrons with smartphones used the Buddy Stamp in the club and shared their evening on Facebook.

Heineken wanted to introduce its new brand message: Open Your World during the Heineken Opener Festival 2011. To do that we created the U-Code, a new social tool that allowed people to open themselves. U-code is a special QR-code with information about you. People could scan your code, thanks to that they had a perfect icebreaker. It turned out that scanning a U-code is a great excuse to approach someone new. In the end, thousand of people opened themselves and some of them even started new friendships.

The brand new 2013 Mercedes-Benz A-Class will debut at March’s Geneva motor show after extensive road testing in a QR Code livery (image below). No doubt inspired buy the success of the Mercedes-Benz QR Code race in Singapore the livery is part of a competition to win a trip for two to the world premiere of the A-Class in early March in Geneva. From the first week of February the QR Codes will resolve to a free app “the A-Class QR-Trophy” which allows participation in the competition and the collection of “badges”. Badge collection is by scanning QR Codes which will be found in print and social media, with four badges completing the set and automatic entry into the draw. An initial competition trailer video can be seen below.

A toy store comes to life in this interactive window display that lets you donate a toy using your mobile phone.

eBay and Toys for Tots team up this holiday to launch The GIVE-A-TOY Store. The interactive storefront launched in New York (at 35th and Broadway) and San Francisco (at 117 Post St.) and invites passers-by to window shop for good. Not in SF or NY? No problem. You can donate some joy at ebay.com/giveatoystore.com

For more than 60 years, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF has served as the original Kids Helping Kids® campaign. In 1950, children across America were inspired to collect coins for UNICEF to aid children abroad enduring the after-effects of World War II. It was not just a charity effort—it was a call to end the needless suffering of their more vulnerable peers around the globe. Since then, for generations of Americans, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF has been a powerful way to make a difference in the lives of the world’s children. Today, that mission is as urgent as ever, and the campaign is just as vibrant. Established as one of the longest-running youth initiatives in America, with more than $164 million raised to-date, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF remains an inspiration to the young (and the young at heart) to further the cause of children everywhere.

If you’re going to a job fair, for example, you could bring a few copies of your resume without worrying about running out. You could simply offer up one copy of the resume to a company, and allow its colleagues to scan a QR code on the document itself. That way, nobody has to copy, scan, or print your resume. The QR code could help spread it within the walls of the company.

As part of what Coca-Cola calls the “Happiness Quest” users are motivated to scan the QR code on their favorite vending machine and create its virtual identity. This entails naming the machine and choosing its avatar from a library of 20 designs. Users can scan multiple machines and create each machine’s unique identity as a sort of catalogue of check-ins and a rolodex of virtual friends. Each user is asked to designate a single machine to be “my machine” which will communicate with the user on a more personal level. This communication includes campaign news, weather information, and other relevant news.

The real game begins once user starts checking-in to machines on a regular basis. Each check-in awards the user points that can be spent to customize their machine. These virtual items include shoes, character skins, and backgrounds.

Checking-in under certain conditions will also earn the user badges. For example, a check-in on Christmas gets the user the “Merry Christmas” badge and twenty check-ins during lunch time awards the lunch time badge. There is even a badge for checking-in to vending machines across the country, a common element to these “Stamp Rally” promotions. While traveling across the country is difficult this task will no doubt attract certain hardcore users.

One user that signs up within the first month of the promotion will win a one million yen prize (approx. 12,900 USD). Coca-Cola hopes users will spread the word about the campaign and is encouraging users to do so by awarding another one million yen cash prize to a user that introduces the promotion to a friend.

The check-in game strives to get users interacting with its physical machines multiple times a day. The in-game rewards keep users coming back and form the check-in habit. Eventually spotting a big, red Coca-Cola vending machine on the street could evoke an emotional response, a sort of visual Pavlovian reminder to check-in and further the never ending game’s progress.

Text: penn-olson.com