The Great Gatsby - QR Barcodes

Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan

The Great Gatsby has been remade time and time again. On May 10, 2013 Hollywood did their best to release a worthy adaptation of this timeless classic. The public relations and advertising for this movie were flawless. Tiffany & Co. transformed their window displays with roaring twenties decor and jewelry. Brooks Brothers paired their All-American style with vintage 1920's flair. The month prior to the release was full of elegant and classic advertisements throughout Chicago. While living in the city, I have seen my fair share of advertising. Absolutely nothing competed with the beauty of the Gatsby advertisements.

The more interactive advertisements were located at bus stops and on CTA trains. I managed to capture one of my favorites at the Ashland bus stop in Lincoln Park. This advertisement shows Carey Mulligan as Daisy. The advertisement is beautiful and sad just like Daisy Buchanan. Although this advertisement does not contain any interaction with social media, many others did. One of the most common technologies I see utilized by movie advertising is a Quick Response (QR) bar code. These bar codes can be scanned by cell phones and take users to various sites like Facebook, Twitter, Official movie website, etc. Often these scans bring users to the Fandango website where tickets can be purchased, providing consumers with instant access to the film. 

Numerous companies were teaming with this classic movie adaptation to advertise their product. More importantly, the movie was doing all it could to reach mass audiences. I'd say that it paid off in the end, considering they grossed approximately $19.4 million on opening night. They received mixed reviews, but definitely seemed to make their money's worth.