How to Use QR Codes
on Bottles & Cans

Your consumers are your brand, so strengthen their loyalty and trust by providing them with more information and entertainment with QR Codes while breathing new life into traditional marketing.

Create a QR Code like this now

The Benefits of Using QR Codes on Bottles and Cans

So you thought digital marketing was coming to give the boot to print. Well, think again. QR Codes are the bridge between digital and print, yes, but they are also an alternative way to enjoy traditional marketing. With vigor.

Tom Daly, global group director for mobile strategy and spotting trends at The Coca-Cola Company stated in 2016, “My job is pretty simple: I have to make sure that if consumers have a mobile phone in one hand, then I need to put a coke in the other.” In the effort to make products and their ingredients more transparent, QR Codes have risen to the occasion. At the helm of smart labeling, QR Codes help you link consumers to product details like ingredients, manufacturer, provenance and ingredient sourcing. But that is just the tip of the iceberg. To go back to Tom Daly, “within the arm’s reach of desire” is what Robert Woodruff, Coca-Cola’s president from 1923 until 1954, described the role of the company’s brand strategy. And that’s what you want your brand schemes to revolve around.

1. Creating desire

When it comes to enhancing brand desirability, if created right, a QR Code can help you design a memorable experience with active user participation and interactive storytelling that will build loyalty and even turn consumers into brand champions.

Here is some inspiration. Launched in 2011 in cooperation with Ball Packaging Europe, Coca-Cola planned exclusive once-only music shows in German cities, keeping the details hidden until the last minute, then promoted it on their new 25 cl Coke cans with smartly designed QR Codes. One scan took consumers straight to the Music Portal, offering a multi-faceted visual, taste, and sound marketing experience.

2. Smart label

With a limited amount of space on bottle labels and cans, QR Codes on beverages enable you to reach customers with the technology they use. QR Codes are now small enough to fit as part of your existing design or, with branded QR Codes, you can adjust colors, shape, and frame to design a new campaign around them. Allow your consumers to access key information about your beverages like provenance, nutritional and geographical facts about ingredient sourcing with just one scan.

With more people focusing on what they consume, brand desirability rests on transparency. Use Video QR Codes to take buyers on a journey through orchards, quality control, and testimonials. Consumers no longer have to wonder “where was this made” or ask supermarket staff; QR Codes provide instant information at the point of sale and after purchase.

3. Smart feedback

Consumers can scan, rate, and comment on a new flavor, packaging, or product in less than a minute using our Rating QR Code. Submitted ratings are sent directly to your business email, helping you celebrate success or refine your product.

QRCG logo – Get detailed feedback: Gather valuable customer feedback fast. Use this QR Code type to measure customer satisfaction and have the results sent directly to your inbox.

4. Smart tracking

With our Dynamic QR Code, you gain insights on scan frequency and uniqueness, including location, date, time, device, and OS used. This information is vital to improving marketing campaigns and product reach.

How to create a QR Code on Bottles and Cans?

1. Go to QR Code Generator and select the type of QR Code you’d like on your bottle or can. We recommend using the URL QR Code to start with.
2. Enter your website address.
3. Your QR Code will be generated automatically.
4. Customize the design by adding a frame and a “Scan Me” logo.
5. Select colors to match your style or company brand identity.
6. Select ‘Download’ to receive your QR Code file in .jpg format.
7. Integrate your newly-created QR Code to your bottle design.

Sign up to choose more QR Codes such as Event, Video, and Coupon, where you can add more information, visuals, and edit or replace all info without reprinting.

QR Codes on Bottles & Cans Best Practices

1. Add instructions: Print a short written explanation of what consumers gain from scanning the QR Code.
2. Frame it: Make your QR Code blend with your creative design using customizable frames and CTA messages.
3. Add a logo inside your QR Code: Incorporate a brand logo or CTA at the center. System auto-adjusts the size to ensure scannability.
4. Save your designs: Reuse saved templates for every canned good, beverage, or bottle.
5. Customizable URL: Edit the short URL to include your brand or product name for better recognition and trust.
6. Test before printing: Minimum recommended QR Code size is 2 x 2 cm. Field-test with multiple devices to ensure scannability.

For more information, visit our Help Center and How to Get Creative with QR Code Design pages.

See QR Codes on Bottles and Cans in Action

Restaurants

Southern Restaurant’s homemade lemonade sold in local supermarkets featured an Image Gallery QR Code. This allowed customers to access multiple cocktail recipes, update them without reprinting, and share on social media.

Consumer Packaged Goods

Betty Baker added a Rating QR Code on Cake Mix in a Bottle labels to collect direct feedback via email, allowing design tweaks faster and more efficiently.

Tourism

World Trekker Tours partnered with a winery to offer exclusive vineyard tours, including tastings. Event QR Codes on bottles promoted dates, itineraries, and ticket purchases.

Event Management

Verge Event Management offered a 25% discount for a festival beer brand via Coupon QR Codes, eliminating paper collection, making the process hassle-free and waste-free.

Gym and Wellness Studios

Studio Gym printed Text QR Codes on protein shakes. Scanning the QR Code delivered uplifting messages to encourage subscribers on their fitness journey.