PepsiCo is mobilizing its huge Live for Now global campaign by plastering QR codes on soft drink cups that let users keep up-to-date with the newest entertainment news.

Live for Now is a year-long campaign between Pepsi and Twitter that is aimed at connecting young, tech-savvy consumers to their favorite music artists through multimedia. Pepsi is using the mobile bar codes to push video content.

?By linking the QR code to video content, the consumer is provided with unique, relevant and engaging content directly from something as simple as a cup,? said Mike Wehrs, president/CEO of Scanlife, New York.

?A number of our partners like Taco Bell, Sonic and others have seen the value in this kind of strategy because it engages their customers in a really simple way,? he said.

?Traditional media, even something like a cup, is completely static and QR codes can easily deliver a more engaging experience for your most interested customers.?

Mr. Wehrs is not affiliated with Pepsi. He commented based on his expertise on the subject.

Pepsi did not respond to press inquiries.

Scan for engagement
The mobile bar code is placed prominently above Pepsi?s logo on paper cups.

When consumers scan the mobile bar code, they are redirected to a mobile site where a video clip automatically begins. The clip is a little more than one minute long.

The video features a recap of entertainment news with segments that are updated regularly.

Pepsi-branded content is promoted throughout the ad. For example, Twitter handles for the celebrities in the video appear next to Pepsi's logo in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen.

At the end of the video, users are encouraged to tweet at Pepsi with the campaign?s hashtag.

Mobile is only a small part of initiatives around the Live for Now effort, which also includes TV, radio, outdoor, experimental, cinema and digital and social media marketing. The company claims in a press release that it is the brand?s first global campaign.

For example, one of the biggest parts of the campaign is the ?Pepsi Pulse,? which is a central hub on Pepsi?s Web site that creates pop culture-themed content in real-time.

Pepsi's mobile video

Connect through video
Pepsi?s digital initiatives around Live for Now is content-heavy, making mobile video a quick way to deliver content to users.

Additionally, by continually creating new video content, it keeps the QR codes fresh and gives users an incentive to keep coming back to scan.

Mobile video is also a medium that tends to have high engagement rates, especially with entertainment news.

For instance, a recent study from Rhythmn NewMedia found that 45-60 percent of consumers who visit a news entertainment destination visited the destination the day before. Additionally, mobile video content can have up to a 89 percent completion rate (see story).

?QR codes are a convenient way for their customers to engage with the brand right from the can, bottle or cup,? Mr. Wehrs said.

?QR codes turn what could be a static experience into an active ? and in this case, entertaining ? experience,? he said. ?It?s just a great canvas to add some additional value.?

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is associate reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York