Earlier this year, we saw global grocer Tesco (Homeplus) take over Korean subways with a virtual shopping experience that included 2-D displays of merchandise on the walls and QR codes for commuters to scan. They could purchase these virtual items while they waited for the subway, and would find them delivered to their home upon their return. This was a unique, profitable execution that grabbed worldwide attention and raised the bar for retail advertising creativity.
Now Tesco is back at it again with a new campaign and extended digital efforts. Along with utilizing more traditional media, the “Big Price Drop” initiative is running a print campaign that can be accessed using an Augmented Reality and image recognition smartphone (or tablet) app called Blippar. While this is a concept with huge interactive potential, I’m not so sure they hit home with consumers on this one.
I look forward to seeing better strategy behind the technology, but in the mean time, it’s another notable step in the digital direction.
