How Brands Are Engaging Audiences with Snapcodes

No one can accuse Snapchat of being complacent. This past year, the company has been on a roll releasing new features, and amping up its efforts to engage both users and brands. And Snapchat isn’t satisfied with interactions remaining within the app; it’s crossing digital barriers to bring branded campaigns to users in the “real world.”

Brands are starting to use Snapcodes – the app’s version of QR codes – in creative ways to reach a wider audience. It’s still a fairly new approach, but a few brands are already seeing positive results.

Gilmore Girls: Luke’s Pop-Ups

Fan favorite TV show Gilmore Girls is getting a Netflix revival this month, nine years after its final season aired. Netflix is building anticipation for the four-part series by gradually releasing video teasers and maintaining an active social media presence.

In October, Netflix used Snapchat to bring the fictional town of Stars Hollow to life; it recreated Luke’s diner in a pop-up event that took over 200 local cafes on a single day. Netflix-branded Snapcodes, featuring the Luke’s sign and the image of a toaster, were printed on 10,000 cups handed out at the cafes. Attendees could open Snapchat, take a picture of the code and apply the sponsored filter to their photos for a limited time. Snapchat reported that the filter was viewed 880,000 times, and the event reached more than 500,000 people.

Rocky Horror Picture Show: Live Activations

Fox and Snapchat paired up to release the first Snapcode activations to go live during a TV broadcast. Last month, Fox aired a reboot of the cult classic musical, Rocky Horror Picture Show. In the days leading up to the broadcast, Fox released Snapchat ads and launched a custom sponsored lens that prompted users to dress up as the character Frank-N-Furter. When the musical aired, Fox showed unique Snapcodes three times during ad breaks. Viewers could photograph the code and unlock an exclusive Snapchat filter to share with friends.

The Girl on the Train: Mysterious Billboards

The psychological thriller, The Girl on the Train, hit theaters last month, and Universal Pictures – a longtime Snapchat advertiser – used Snapcode marketing to promote the film. Billboards in subways in seven markets (New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and Boston) displayed Snapcodes with the intriguing message: “What happened that night?” When users scanned the codes, they gained access to branded geofilters for the film.

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