Budweiser has introduced a digital campaign called "Track Your Bud." It urges consumers to trace the origins of the beer they hold in their hands to one of Budweiser's 12 U.S. breweries, via a QR Code.  Consumers use their smartphone to scan the QR code on Budweiser packaging and download the free "Track Your Bud" app. Or they can visit TrackYourBud.com.

Then, consumers enter the Born On Date found on bottles and cans and are taken on a guided tour of the creation of their individual beer by the Budweiser brewmaster responsible for it.

Print Ads Still Dominate

QR code-based campaigns that incorporate packaging are rare enough to turn heads.   The dominant way in which this technology is being used, in the advertising space at least, is via print ads. New statistics from Competitrack show proportion of print ads featuring a 2D code rose from less than 0.9% in January to more than 6% from September through December, before increasing again to 7% in January 2012.

The largest jump occurred between July and August, when the proportion of print ads containing a 2D code rose from 3.6% to 5.3%. Overall, slightly more than 4% of print ads in 2011 included a 2D code.