This stuff just won’t go away, will it?
Here’s an article from Creativity Online where Japanese creative agency SET explains the Murakami-inspired Louis Vuitton QR (quick response) code. - view article - This site usually locks up their content after a time, so if the link dead ends to a registration page, let me know.
QR Code created by SET
First, here is a recent QR code. A little different from the last time, eh? Pretty cool. As these evolve, there is sure to be many more exciting things to see, like 3D and animated versions. The article talks about the current and future state of QR codes in the far east, but one of the comments I found compelling in this article was this:
C-O: Some have opined that QR code use in Japan is actually declining in some sectors. Are you finding this?
Takashi Murakami: It has not been our experience that QR code use is declining. I think what might be happening is that consumers are possibly tired of them in their current form. I think this is where a design revolution is needed. People need a reason to click through. We think that codes such as the Louis Vuitton one and others we have up our sleeve will show that simple color and clever ideas will increase use in much the same way that clever advertising gets people to pay attention.
This stands out to me because I hear this all the time in “creative” brainstorm sessions. “Yeah, we tried that with that other job. Let’s do something else.” What is going on here? One aspect, one facet, one focus of a style, technology, or technique gets used, and people think that is all that can be done with it. Come on! We are supposed to be creatives. There is so much potential all around us for creative greatness. Use it. Explore. Play with it. Enjoy it. Make something happen from nothing. Isn’t that what we do, why we are in this business? You set the limits, and we make something amazing that no one expected. When it works, it’s gold.
For example, I worked as a graphic designer at a printer for a while. They had just purchased 4 color press system that let us print full color at unheard of prices at the time. I sat with the powers-that-was to come up with ideas for how to promote it. At one point, everyone (everyone but me) agreed that there was no way to sell 4 color printing without a full color image. They felt – they KNEW – that we had to do a huge 4 color postcard mailing to a purchased list of businesses.
For our small shop was a pretty big cash outlay. I asked to try something first – a fax campaign. Boy, that room got quiet. And then they laughed. From my perspective, we already had a great data base of clients that knew us and trusted us, let’s build on them first (easier to keep a customer than get a new one blah blah you know this). After some discussion, I was begrudgingly allowed to do my campaign, and this is what I sent out (logos and contact info has been removed to protect the innocent):
The fax to sell 4 color printing.
Not amazing, not SET caliber, not super special. Not a big deal. Hugely successful, and as cheap as a few hundred faxes to small companies we already had relationships with. Customer who we hadn’t heard from in years called us up to see what we could do for them. One point for me.
So the main point here is specific, and can be generalized out as well. Connecting the real world to the digital is big now and is going to be a HUGE deal, especially for marketers. The barriers such as bandwidth costs or software on a phone will disappear sooner rather than later, and different types of QR codes will be one established way to bridge that divide. They can be used in tons of ways, find more.
Automobiles, Print, Radio, TV, Rocketships – every technology has gone through this same progression in one way or another. “Cute, but who would do that?” In the right setting, everyone.
Make something that people react to. <–= This is what we do.
How about you? Every been here? I’d love to hear about it. Come on. Don’t be shy…
// Bugfrog //
and James presented at 