I noticed in the Target catalog I received on Black Friday that QR codes were featured prominently. The code for the fashion spread gives you a video of Nina Garcia choosing outfits for Gabby, a newcomer to New York. The presentation all very clever and smartjust what you’d expect from Target.
MailChimp, my e-mail newsletter delivery service of choice, announced a new iPhone called Pyow! The app lets store owners send QR code coupons to customers and when the customer redeems the coupon, you can scan the code to track redemption, etc. Brilliant. Here’s the full blog post that explains in detail how the app works.
Google Places has been providing users of the service with QR codes that link to their Places page and bit.ly, the popular url shortening service, provides a QR code with every link.
It’s been a slow process, but QR codes finally seem to be getting some attention here in the U.S. They’ve been popular in Europe and Asia for some time now. There’s even a building in Japan with a QR code for a façade. It’s an amazing use of the technology.