Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Finally! A use for QR codes!

I work in marketing, which means I am subjected to all the latest gimmicks and trends at a staggering rate. Often there are good ideas that are terribly, terrible executed. QR codes are a good example of an OK idea gone wrong. I see them used most often on subway posters. Great! Oh, wait. There's no signal on the subway. That means I have to be interested enough to delicately balance my book and my coffee cup to dig out my phone, unlock it, snap a picture on a moving vehicle and then remember that I did that later to go check out a website for some contest I might have wanted to enter but probably wouldn't have and anyway it ended three weeks ago. Yes, these are the first world problems I encounter every day, and yet I find the strength to carry on.

The ONE time I did bother to do all that, I got above ground and the fucking link didn't work. FAIL! The one above is another example of heinous QR code abuse. It takes you on a journey... to the blog you're already reading! If you care enough to take me with you wherever you go, I'm very flattered! I also think you probably already have a reading list you're perfectly happy with, thereby rendering the QR code redundant.

But wait! I'm here to help. Ever enjoyed a fantastic bottle of wine at a restaurant and then not, for the life of you, been able to remember what the hell you were drinking last night? Sure, the bottle(s) of wine might have something to do with that, but it's also an invented problem that I hope to solve. What if... wineries used QR codes, allowing you to look up what the hell you were drinking last night in the cold, harsh light of day? Yes, you could also take out your phone and make a memo of the info, but if you're drunk there's a good chance you're going to make a terrible mess of that task. Let's ignore how difficult it is to take a steady shot after copious amounts of wine too. I'm interested in progress, not problems, people!

Excuse me, I'm off to become a zillionaire. I just have to develop a prototype that doesn't look like shit.


This post is written as part of GBE2 - Week #51 word prompt: Parody. For more info about GBE2, click here

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ha!!! Now you just need to perfect it and take it to those Shark Tank folks.

Jo said...

Oh YES...the shark tank folks! You will be zillionaire in no time.

The Frizzy Hooker said...

very funny
the poor students attending the local university see posters with just a picture, a QR code and a title announcing, "insert-topic Month"
NO information about if the topic of the month has passed, is the current month or next month.
I kid you not
They have to look it up on their phones or seek out a campus paper for the information. So much for being in the union with time to kill and using the info board to find something to do

Romona said...

YES! I need this!

Roxanne said...

Why not just take a picture of the wine bottle label? ;-)

Unknown said...

I have seen those crazy codes on things but never really paid attention to what they were for. Thanks to you I now am enlightened. Thank you!!

Kathy
http://gigglingtruckerswife.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

OH guess what they are discussing now..we will NEED this..umm its when marijuana becomes legal..so we add a liquid form IN WINE!!!!! for REAL