I have been somewhat damning of QR codes in the past. In principle I like them, but outside of Japan, most consumers aren’t interested. Marketers tend to think that the very code itself is interesting enough to create engagement. Generally that just isn’t the case. However, AXA Belgium have done something with QR that I believe is genuinely exciting enough to interest people. They have created a giant QR code using different coloured paint pots (the lids are effectively the pixels) and stuck them on a billboard. This is from the same company that previously did the ‘cracked pavement’ magazine and iPhone ad. Their theme is all about making 2011 their year of innovation; not a bad start. The only issue I have is that the QR simply goes to a mobile site and the URL is shown beneath it. Surely such an innovative use of QR should have a more innovative call to action?