Fast food franchise Taco Bell is driving awareness for its new Doritos Locos Tacos product in several ways including placing QR codes on its packaging and running targeted mobile ads.

Last week the company also announced that it will use an augmented reality application to engage its customers. By using all these different mediums, Taco Bell is showing that mobile plays an integral role in the company?s new launches.

?The ScanLife powered QR codes are a part of Taco Bell?s Doritos Locos Tacos campaign, and they wanted to tie the codes to music performances from SXSW in Austin,? said Mike Wehrs, president/CEO of Scanbuy, New York. 

?The codes are being placed on the Doritos Locos Tacos packaging around the country to engage their customers with the actual product,? he said. ?The codes feature exclusive content from artists that will be performing at the Hype Hotel all this week.

?The content will change every week to feature a new video highlighting a different artist providing customers with new and unique content, which should help drive repeat activity.?

Scanbuy is powering the Taco Bell initiative.

Driving engagement
Taco partnered with Frito-Lay to reinvent its mobile popular menu item 50 years after introducing it.

Music is playing a key role in the Doritos Locos Tacos campaign.

Taco Bell is integrating its brand and Doritos Locos Tacos at the Feed the Beat Concert Series.

Those not attending can still view performances by scanning QR codes featured on the Doritos Locos Tacos holsters, which lead users to exclusive video content showcasing performances from the Hype Hotel.

A new performance will be featured each week.

?This campaign strategically combines code context and content,? Mr. Wehrs said. ?Every week the content is refreshed, so each time a code is scanned customers see something different. 

?This will drive consumer scanning activity as we saw with their first campaign around the MTV VMA?s a few months back,? he said. 

?That campaign led to over 400,000 scans in just six weeks, which is an astounding amount of activity in such a short period of time.?

Key features
In addition to QR codes, Taco Bell is also running mobile ads within Pandora.

The mobile ads read ?Taco Bell on the inside. Doritos on the outside. #DoritosLocosTacos.?

When consumers tap on the mobile ad they are redirected to a mobile landing page where they can get their moment in the spotlight by using social media such as Facebook and Twitter.

Taco Bell is also using augmented reality for the campaign.

Through Taco Bell?s Buzz Finder app, which features augmented reality, consumers can connect with the brand.

Users can hold their mobile device to Taco Bell's soda cups or the Doritos Locos Tacos box and the augmented reality will appear.

By incorporating all these elements, Taco Bell is taking its campaign to another level.

?The QR code is being featured on millions of Taco Bell?s Doritos Locos Tacos packaging, which are being sold throughout the U.S.,? Mr. Wehrs said.  

?On the packaging they have placed a call to action ? Celebrate Awesomeness, Scan this code (Use your smartphone app to scan the code),? he said. 

?This is part of an integrated campaign that includes all media touchpoints.?

Final Take
Rimma Kats is staff reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York