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QR Codes Make a Splash in Superbowl 2023
- QR codes remained a prominent advertising tactic in the Super Bowl one year after Coinbase’s commercial, appearing in at least 14% of all ads and representing an estimated $70M in media spend tied to QR-driven activations.
- QR code effectiveness varied widely based on placement, scan time, and post-scan experience, with clear calls to action and seamless destinations outperforming confusing or hard-to-scan executions.
- Many Super Bowl QR code activations primarily redirected users to long-form video, apps, or promotional pages, highlighting QR codes as engagement extensions rather than standalone conversions.
- Compared to high-cost broadcast advertising, QR codes on product packaging offer brands a persistent, scalable activation channel that can reach customers repeatedly in retail and home environments.
A year after Coinbase’s famous QR Code commercial, crypto has fizzled out, but the use of QR codes did not!
In 2022, Coinbase took over the Super Bowl news stream with its legendary QR code commercial. It was a 60-second spoof on a 90’s screensaver with nothing but a QR code bouncing around the screen. While Coinbase made the biggest splash, there were 4 different commercials, including QR codes from Bud Light, Rocket Mortgage, and KIA.
This year, we counted at least 10 different commercials using QR codes (not counting second runs), which is 14% of all of the commercials aired during the Superbowl. For those of you who took the Over on the 7.5 line, you were right!
You can find our full play-by-play with QR code placement critiques below!
Limit Break's DigiDaigaku NFT Promo
This one was a head-scratcher for people who were unaware of Limit Break and the DigiDaigaku game (most of the world). The commercial featured anime characters battling each other and climbing a giant treasure chest with a QR code.
In the last 5 seconds, the commercial transitioned to a call to action promoting a free digital collectible. After scanning the QR code, visitors are taken to the CEO’s Twitter page and prompted to “Follow to Win.” Upon scrolling down, visitors found a pinned Tweet promoting a free NFT.
Fox Bet's Super 6 Ad
At least two times during the live Fox broadcast, Terry Bradshaw promoted a $1M sweepstakes giveaway. It was a pretty straightforward promotion, and after scanning the QR code, visitors were directed to a promotional website that enables the download of the Fox Bet Super Six 6 app. Then, folks could pick the outcomes of the game for a free chance to win.
Fox's Animal Control Ad
This commercial featured comedian Joel McHale holding a real cougar and promoting his upcoming sitcom on the Fox Network. The QR code was front and center for most of the ad spot. When scanned, it would direct to an even longer 3-minute preview of the show on Youtube.
CSAA Rickroll
This was another head-scratcher of a commercial, but we liked the strength of the call to action. It featured a simple white background with a QR code and with Rick Astley's trademark hairstyle.
When scanned, the QR code led to a 5-month-old Youtube video commercial titled, “InsurAAAnce & Rick Astley Never Gonna Give You Up.” It was an irreverent approach reminiscent of the famous Coinbase approach. And who doesn’t like 80’s music?
The Roast of Mr. Peanut
This was one of the funniest ads in the Superbowl. It featured Jeff Ross and other comedians roasting the iconic Mr. Peanut mascot from Planter’s peanuts. A QR code was featured prominently on-screen for the large majority of the commercial, and when scanned, visitors were directed to the full 11-minute roast on Youtube.
Dunkin’ Drive Thru Ad, Starring Ben Affleck
This Dunkin’ Donuts commercial starred Ben Affleck as himself, working the drive-through window. We had to dig deep into this one, but after getting into the outtakes on Youtube, we found a QR code on a box of munchkins as a “background extra.” It was too small to scan.
Met's Commercial: "We Wanna Hear You"
This was an exclusive commercial for the New York tri-state area, but we’d be remiss to leave it out because of it’s great execution. The commercial featured star players, including Justin Nimmo, Francisco Lindor, and Koda Senga working the phones to sell tickets for the upcoming season. The QR code was present in the corner of the screen for the whole spot and linked to the Met’s ticket sales website.
