• by Amy Corr , Staff Writer, September 21, 2009

We've seen bar codes placed in print ads that drive viewers to a microsite housing additional brand information.

Coca-Cola launched an ad campaign in Singapore offering free downloadable content to consumers who scan its cans.

Beginning in June and concluding this month, Singaporeans were offered an array of mobile content from ringtones, wallpapers and Electronic Arts video games such as Tetris, SIM City, FIFA 09 and Trivial Pursuit.

Millions of cans of Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero and Sprite were emblazoned with barcodes that resemble a sideways smiley face. Consumers interested in accessing free content must first download software to their mobile device that reads and translates the barcodes.

ColorZip owns and developed ColorCam, the free, downloadable software. Similar to other scanning software, the technology transforms a user's mobile phone into a scanner that reads the barcode.

Text, images and videos can be linked to barcodes through a Web address that transfers content back to the user.

Since the launch of ZapCode, the moniker given to this digital marketing platform, 400 mobile phone models, equaling one million phones, became compatible with ColorCam software.

There was no limit set for the number of downloads available per phone, but there was a limit on the content available. For example, there might be 50,000 Tetris downloads available and once that number is reached, it's no longer offered to consumers.

 The technology can also identify repeat downloads and push fresh content towards the consumer.