Rating: Gimmick works as advertising medium
An eagle eyed reader (Jim) spotted a great video here on YouTube about the use of QR codes with cows. It harks back to a story we ran in December [2011] about British farmers branding their cows with QR codes for auction here. This video is in French – with subtitles in English. For some stupid reason many English-speaking viewers assume it must be a joke whereas it’s actually a genuine documentary * and has opened up a relative gold mine of information about French QR code industry players whom GoMoMobile News had previously never encountered. For that reason alone it’s worth a look.The video is many by a local French company – Anoriant.TV which covers a region of France called Lorient. Which we presume is on the East of the country.
Anyway, the producers had discovered that a local diary farmer, Gildas le Behoc, has started to spray his cattle with pretty large QR codes.
The reason for this – as he clearly explains – is that the farm is in a protected area so he couldn’t put up giant hoardings, for example?
So he hit on the idea of using QR codes as a gimmick. The idea is that when you scan the codes you are taken to play a game where you have to uncover three cows to win a prize.
This game appears to have been put together by a French mobile marketing agency – Bookbeo. You can play the game here.
GoMobile News suspects that another QR code technology company myQRCreation had a hand in this entire project because the video features an interview with the company’s Marie Ben.
The main point here is that this use of QR codes worked for Messieur le Behoc because it’s managed to advertise the existence of his farm shop something rotten (effectively).
We’ll be following up some of the other gems this video uncovered a little later.
* UPDATE: It was a spoof. See our other story here.
It was a hoax that became a reality, see my 2nd post at http://www.qrcartist.com on the video which links to the French site that explains the hoax. The farmer was a French Actor, known for his comedy!
http://www.qrcartist.com/2012/qr-code-cows-hoax-now-a-reality/
What is true in the video:
• These are real cows, in a real operating Morbihan farm
• Cows have really been stenciled after milking (edible ink of course)
• Cows were really scannable
• There is a real scratch game behind the QR code
What is not completely true:
• Gildas the farmer is an (excellent) actor
• The extras in the video are friends excited about this QR codes project in the meadow
And most importantly, what has become true since this video: Two Breton farmers using direct sales from home to the farm want to implement the technique (a “cell R & D” is currently at work in determining the appropriate quality of ”bio” paint coat) – (a farmer is one who hosted the filming in his firm Penn Da Benn to Senna )
The experimental operation of viral marketing was born in the heads of a group of crazy Morbihan, passionate tech news and new media individuals. The truth? It was especially great time!
Aha. All good stories do become true, then!
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