The future of mobile marketing may not be in video so much as in QR codes. Find out what they are and who's using them.

Ever wonder what might happen if you could take a photo of a UPC code (universal pricing code) on your cell phone, press send and instantly some really cool animation or information on stuff you just came across on the street suddenly appeared on your cell phone screen?

Welcome to the Age of the QR Code. Now in Japan and coming to other regions of the world soon. What's a QR Code?

Per Wikipedia, "A QR Code is a matrix code (or two-dimensional bar code) created by Japanese corporation Denso-Wave in 1994. The 'QR'stands for 'uick Response," as the code allows its contents to be decoded at high speed. QR Codes are most common in Japan, where, as bar codes became popular and their convenience became more universally recognized, the Japanese began to experiment with codes capable of storing more information and more character types that could be printed in a smaller space.  QR Codes emerged in response to this need and began appearing on posters, packaging and printed goods in Japan in early 2000.

 © www.QRCODE.COM

A few years later, Japanese cellular carrier NTT DoCoMo made a deal to embed the code recognition functionality on its i-Mode mobile phones. Suddenly,  Japanese i-Mode subscribers were able to activate QR codes from the likes of NIKE, McDonald's and Northwest Airlines, all offering place-based information enhancements instantaneously via shooting a picture of a simple QR Code. 

Want to know the nutritional information on a McDonald's cheeseburger? Just snap a shot of the QR Code on the orange wrapper. Want to know where to find LeBron James' NIKE sneakers in Japan? Just snap a shot of the QR Code off the poster on the street. Want to know what flights are leaving on Northwest Airlines daily from Narita Airport today? Just snap a shot of the giant QR CODE on the billboard outside Shibuya Station in Tokyo.

What quickly becomes apparent when you consider the creative possibilities around QR Codes is their ability to jumpstart everything from outdoor billboards and print advertising to point-of-sale packaging and even guerilla marketing.

Imagine a giant QR code randomly placed on a lightpost in Times Square. Who could resist the temptation to discover who's behind it? Or a QR code stuck on a bottle of shampoo on the shelf of your neighborhood drugstore. You snap the picture, press send, and suddenly a short Flash movie from the brand's website gets pushed to your cellphone to help give you more information and a coupon code that the cashier takes to save you 50 cents on your more informed purchase.

The possibilities seem endless, and potentially, a very effective enhancement to traditional print and outdoor media, where the ability to acquire and convert new customers has been among the costliest mediums to date. But who knows, with the addition of QR Codes, those gloomy prognosticators who predicted the death of print advertising page effectiveness might suddenly find themselves shot down… by the camera phone.

In fact, the addition of QR Codes on Japanese business cards is now also becoming commonplace, greatly simplifying the task of entering the personal details of your new contact into the address book of your mobile phone.

What's even more impressive is that the patent owner, Denso Wave, has left the code spec open for all. According to the company's website, "QR Code is open in the sense that the specification of QR Code is disclosed and that the patent right owned by Denso Wave is not exercised." You gotta love that.

But then, of course, there's Microsoft's latest challenge to QR Codes.

According to the tech blog Engadget, "Microsoft looks to be trying to change the QR game with the company set to roll out its so-called High Capacity Color Barcode (HCCB) later this year with the assistance of the International Standard Audiovisual Number International Agency (ISAN-IA). While their use will apparently initially be limited to DVD media, Microsoft eventually sees the codes being used on TV, in magazines, and on billboards (among other places), from which you'll be able to scan 'em with your cellphone to get additional information about a product. Of course, good looks are the codes' only selling point, with Microsoft also promising that it'll make anything tagged with them harder to counterfeit."

If you're up for more on QR Codes, including everything from QR Tattoos to QR coded movies, checkout Scott Shaffer's blog, The Pondering Primate, or visit All About Mobile Life. They go deeper into the potential opportunities behind mobile codes like QR Codes. 

From a creative perspective, what might seem like just another geeky scanning matrix, could actually become the next frontier in sending something surprisingly cool to your cellphone, courtesy of a brand near you. 

Alan Schulman is chief creative officer of Brand New World. Read full bio.