• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, May 14, 2012

The latest trend in mobile marketing aims to help busy commuters get their meal planning and shopping done while they hurry to and from work, using mobile QR codes and billboards displaying enticing food items.  

In the most recent version, AllRecipes.com is plastering high-traffic commuter hubs in downtown Los Angeles with out-of-home ads showing the most popular local food items (the most searched-for recipes), alongside QR codes. They lead users to the relevant recipes, allowing them to create a shopping list that can be accessed at the store via smartphone or using the AllRecipes.com Dinner Spinner app.

The “Fix Dinner” campaign -- AllRecipes.com’s first venture into out-of-home advertising -- includes an eye-catching “station domination” at the 7th St./Metro Center Station. The LACMTA rapid transit system, for which 7th St./Metro Center is a main hub, carries about 350,000 passengers on an average weekday.

AllRecipes.com is not the only one using mobile QR codes to get commuters thinking about food.

Peapod, which allows consumers to buy groceries online or via mobile for home delivery, is executing similar campaigns in Philadelphia and Chicago. Transit media, including signage in stations and on train platforms, are carrying Peapod ads that invite passersby to scan a mobile QR code and download the Peapod app.

In addition to the QR codes, the signs also feature images of frequently purchased grocery items, which can also be scanned with a mobile device and added to a virtual shopping cart. Once the app has been downloaded, users can also browse the Peapod store for thousands of other groceries for purchase.

To sweeten the deal, Peapod is inviting users to text “PHILLYRAIL” as a promo code to get $20 off their first order and 60 days of free delivery. The ads highlight brands that partnered with Peapod to create the ads, including Coca-Cola, Stroehmann and P&G.