Decoded

By Amy Albertson

If you're an avid magazine reader, like me, you might be curious about those little squares of black and white that keep popping up on ads. From Armani to Tag Hauer ads, these codes are seen more and more on magazine ads and signs. A curious consumer, I decided to find out just what they are all about. These little squares are called QR (quick response) codes and are barcodes made up of black modules arranged on a white background. The codes are scannable by barcode readers and now smart phones.

So what is the perk of scanning one of these codes? Well, that varies from ad to ad. I decided to download a QR reading app for my iPhone and try it out myself. The Armani Exchange code took me to a web page advertising exclusive looks at AX fashion, the Doc Marten code took me to a page detailing exactly which pair of shoes the model in the ad was photographed wearing, with links to buy them for myself, and the Pac Sun code tok me to a page allowing me to download free tracks of music. The app I downloaded also catalogs any codes I scan, making it easy to refer back to them. Clearly some are more valuable than others. Scanning these little codes is a pretty easy way to score some free stuff. And who doesn't like free stuff?

Check your smart phone's app store for a free QR code scanner and get to it! It's like what Forrest Gump said about life and a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get!