Lacoste is equipping its static print ads with a custom QR code that lets readers shop the latest looks from the retailer’s fall collection.

The QR code-enabled ads are being used as part of Lacoste’s fall/winter 2012 campaign for its Unconventional Chic line of products. The ads are running in the September issue of Elle magazine.

“We realize that mobile has quickly become the No. 1 vehicle to reach consumers, and we are continuing to stay ahead of the trend by embracing new methods of mobile integration. Mobile has increasingly become a holistic part of the purchase cycle, most often driving our customers to offline retail locations across the country,” said Steve Birkhold, president and CEO of Lacoste USA, New York.

“We see mobile providing a greater level of integration between the online and offline world,” he said. “For example, instead of just showing the store locator on the mobile device, we’d like to let customers shop local inventory or know that the product they’re looking at on the mobile site is available just down the street from them.”

Scan to shop
The one-page print ads feature Lacoste’s Unconventional Chic line.

The ads feature a custom QR code in the bottom left-hand corner as well as a URL link to the line’s mobile site.

When users scan the code they are taken to the mobile microsite http://www.lacoste.com/ucwoman.

The mobile site is heavy with video. Video is consistently used with QR codes to add a sight and sound element to print advertisements, and Lacoste is smart to weave the medium into the shopping experience.

The top of the mobile site features a 30-second video that showcases the fall collection with a model. Additionally, users can watch the runway fashion show.

Users can swipe through the collection’s lookbook and click to buy items on Lacoste’s main mobile site.

In addition to the Unconventional Chic line, consumers can browse watches, accessories, perfumes and company news from the site.

Social media buttons to Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Tumblr and Flickr are also prominently displayed. Although Lacoste could better integrate social media into its content, giving users options of which social media sites they want to interact with is a smart way for the company to keep in touch with consumers after they leave the site.

According to Mr. Birkhold, mobile is a growing in importance with the company and is being seen for more than just driving transactions. For example, more than half of Lacoste’s emails are opened on smartphones.

Mobile magazines
Lacoste launched its mobile site in November of last year to let consumers buy their favorite products while on the go (see story).

September is traditionally one of the biggest ad revenue times for publishers, and with more consumers reading magazines with their mobile device in hand, Lacoste is smart to let users shop from print pages.

Although mobile bar codes do present marketers with new ways to engage readers, many have set up poor executions with content that is either not optimized or irrelevant.

However, the Lacoste campaign is a great example of how brands can segment and personalize their marketing to fit one demographic.

Instead of taking users to a generic mobile site, the ads specifically target women with one collection from the retailer.

“We’ve seen a definite uptick in the use of QR codes in print marketing vehicles heading into the fall season,” said Mike Wehrs, CEO/president of ScanLife, New York.

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

“By placing QR codes in print ads such as this Lacoste ad, brands can deliver relevant and valuable content that can ultimately drive purchases straight from the scan of a code. What is definitely happening is that QR codes are driving a higher likelihood that consumers will purchase from a print ad because they increase the convenience factor for obtaining timely, value-added information that helps inform a buying decision,” he said.

“The convenience of QR code technology utilizes the interest that consumers already have invested in a brand or product and takes them right to specific, timely content in a matter of seconds. In addition, it gives marketers much-needed intelligence on what media is driving the most interest.”

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