Calvin Klein Replacing Racy Billboards with QR Codes

Calvin Klein billboard with QR code

Calvin Klein has replaced two of its billboards in New York and one in Los Angeles with a bright red QR code rather than another racy image of scantily clad models.

QR (short for quick response) codes are barcodes that can be scanned with a smartphone camera and then used to pull up special features or additional advertisements.  The code in the Calvin Klein

Previous Calvin Klein billboard

 billboards links to an exclusive "uncensored" commercial followed by links to share the ad with Facebook and Twitter.

These codes are appearing more frequently in traditional advertising in an effort to increase consumer engagement with brands.  This is an up and coming trend that is already popular in Japan and should be watched carefully by small businesses.  It may prove worthwhile to invest in this technology and include your own QR code in future advertisements.  The more consumers interact with your brand, the more likely they are to associate with and ultimately stick with the brand.