2D Bar Codes Link Holland America Print Ads to Mobile Site

Holland America Line has launched a new marketing campaign that incorporates Microsoft Tag 2D bar code technology to connect its print advertising to more information about cruise options and onboard amenities via a web-based interactive experience. The smartphone campaign is designed to encourage consumer engagement and social sharing of Holland America brand content.

 

"Leveraging Microsoft's Tag technology is a new way to engage potential cruisers in an interactive video experience that brings the Holland America Line brand to life," says Richard D. Meadows, CTC, executive vice president, marketing, sales and guest programs. "The ability to connect printed materials to a more captivating digital experience that can be easily shared adds a new dimension to our marketing efforts."

 

Tags will appear in Holland America Line consumer magazine advertisements and consumer brochures. When scanned by a smartphone using the Microsoft Tag Reader (a free download at www.gettag.mobi), the Tag will open a mobile site containing video and interactive content delivered in a simple interface designed for easy sharing. Tag Reader is a free phone app, not an online app and accesses the Internet via the phone's data plan, so normal charges apply.

 

The desktop version of the experience is delivered via a Facebook Page that behaves like a website with links to specific content being shared. The content and user interface are designed to encourage sharing and include a series of mobile-optimized videos and a mobile gallery displaying art collections aboard Holland America Line ships.

The Microsoft Tag Reader supports Android, Blackberry, iPhone, Java 2 Micro Edition, Symbian S60, Windows Mobile and Windows Phone 7 smartphones.

 

The Tags will appear in consumer print advertising in publications including Food & Wine, The New York Times Magazine and Travel + Leisure. Tags also will appear in branded materials, product brochures and in Mariner Magazine, Holland America Line's quarterly loyalty magazine.

 

The campaign was conceived and developed by Seattle-based Hey, a brand content and advertising agency, and 8ninths, a creative technology firm.