QR code - Quick Response, meaning quick response. Probably many people are familiar with QR codes or have encountered them in some way. They have been present on the market since 1994. They were developed by the Japanese company Denso Wave. They are alphanumeric, two-dimensional, matrix, and allow for the encoding of graphic characters representing individual concepts (as is the case in logographic scripts), which is why they are so popular in Japan and throughout Asia. Additionally, they allow for encoding characters belonging to the Arabic, Greek, Hebrew, and Cyrillic alphabets, as well as other user-defined symbols. Thus, their use is possible worldwide, and it is thanks to them that we gain the aforementioned "quick response" in many areas of life. QR codes are so common (especially in Asia) that many smartphone manufacturers equip them with code scanners as standard, integrating them with the camera or offering them as separate applications.

Uses of QR Codes

The use of QR codes is a cheap and widely available solution. All it takes is a generating program - for example, this QR code generator from Canva, and we can already assign them many useful functions.

It's hard to say why QR codes are not as popular in Europe as in Asia. However, I will provide a few examples of how we can successfully use them in the domestic market.

A QR code can be a modern form of payment. Simply scan the code, enter the desired amount, and accept the payment. This is common in Asia, even in bazaars, among older people. In our country, mobile payments are based on NFC technology (Near Field Communication, a contactless and wireless technology that works with, among others, banking applications. Thanks to NFC, our phone instantly shares data, transmits sound, or acts as a payment card).

NFC is becoming more widespread, but there are still many smartphones on the market without this feature. This is therefore a kind of limitation. Therefore, a good solution in the era of the pandemic is scanning a QR code and placing an order in a restaurant or store from your smartphone. We don't have to use self-service stations (kiosks) then, which can be less hygienic.

From a tourist's perspective, it's worth paying attention to QR codes at various objects, places, or exhibits in museums. After scanning, we get a broader description, often in other languages.

Some of us use QR codes often and consciously. Perhaps we don't pay attention, but in e-commerce, QR codes help with the logistics and sorting of our online purchases. When buying a public transport ticket via a mobile app, we can use a QR code to open a metro gate or rent a scooter in a few seconds. Usage fee? It's charged automatically. Simple and convenient. Thanks to this, we can move freely around cities with great ease using just a smartphone.

QR Codes in Advertising, Sales, and Marketing

If you live or visit Krakow, Katowice, GOP cities, Poznan, Tricity, Warsaw, Lodz, Szczecin, or Wroclaw, pay attention to the digital MORE screens from Jet Line. They are located in shop windows, restaurants, and service establishments in the 8 largest agglomerations in the country and reach pedestrians with messages. I mention them because each one is equipped with a QR code.

In advertising and marketing, QR codes perfectly connect offline and online spaces. With their help, we are instantly transferred to the advertised online store or product, or we gain a discount code. This way, we present an offer, and the customer can immediately make a purchase or receive a discount.

With a single click, we transfer ad viewers to a landing page or other places on the web. This happens quickly, conveniently, and efficiently. There's no need to open a mobile browser and type in website URLs – which is where we would like to direct our customers.

In a QR code, we can include almost anything and adapt it to the needs of our own marketing campaign. I will tell you about two of our projects that we carried out at Jet Line together with the Warsaw Uprising Museum in Warsaw and with Restaurant Week in Tricity.

To commemorate the 76th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising, for 63 days, we displayed spots on screens in Warsaw that talked about the history of a place or an event near each specific screen. QR codes directed to subpages of the Warsaw Uprising Museum, where interested individuals could read the history of the event or a given place.

During Restaurant Week in Tricity, people who saw the campaign on MORE screens received a discount code after scanning the QR code, which they then used to take advantage of the offers of many gastronomic establishments.

500 MORE Screens are 500 QR Codes in 8 Largest Cities

It's fascinating that no alternative solution for QR codes has been found (or implemented) so far. However, I admit I'm not surprised. It's a great technology, and its potential in advertising, sales, and marketing is still a field for exploration. If you are fans of it like me, or if you want to learn about it and try it out, I invite you. 500 MORE screens and 500 QR codes are at your disposal.

How are QR codes used in graphic design projects? For a dose of inspiration, we invite you here