Allure?s use of Microsoft Tags as an entry point into the magazine?s annual ?Free Stuff? giveaways resulted in 444,572 scans, making it the largest mobile bar code campaign to-date.

The August issue of Allure included 39 Microsoft Tags that let readers enter any one of the 159 giveaways of beauty products worth $725,000. This is the largest Microsoft Tag campaign to date and a significant increase in scans compared to JagTag?s 100,000 scans during a Sports Illustrated campaign earlier this year, per Microsoft.

?Allure magazine and Microsoft Tag are collaborating together to take mobile marketing to a whole new level,? said Anna Kim-Williams, senior global media strategist of the Startup Business Group at Microsoft, Redmond, WA. ?The strategy behind the Microsoft Tags was to make the magazine mobile for Allure readers and more specifically, to extend the annual August giveaway to mobile users.

?Readers that were not in front of their PC could enter the hourly contests by scanning a Tag that was in the magazine,? she said.

Apparently the Tags also encouraged more consumers to participate in the giveaways.

Allure saw a 38 percent increase in the number of participants due to the Tags. Additionally, Tag contestants were 2.5-times as active as PC contestants.

How it worked
Until now readers have had to log on to their computer at a specific time to enter to win. Allure still offered this entry mechanism for the giveaways, but added mobile for convenience. 

Allure featured Microsoft Tags within the magazine. When scanned, consumers receive a text-message reminder 15 minutes before the giveaways on a certain page.

A master Microsoft Tag in the back of the magazine and on http://www.allure.com could be scanned for a chance to win any or all of the giveaways.

Microsoft Tag is a customizable 2D bar code that can be displayed anywhere and connects almost anything in the real world to information, entertainment and interactive experiences on a mobile phone.

They can be black and white or color, and customized with a logo, product image or other design. Tags are scanned using the free downloadable Microsoft Tag Reader on a consumer?s smartphone.

Mobile entry
Beauty giveaways included fragrance from Giorgio Armani, skin care from Lancôme, nail polish from Essie, a Chi curling iron and 19 Fekkai hair products.

Additionally, there were fashion giveaways such as a Calvin Klein handbag, a Devi Kroell blouse, Top Shop shoes and a jacket from Armani Exchange.

Allure?s reader are female and 82 percent are between 18-49 years old. Fifty-seven percent are between 18-34 years old.

?Readers benefit because they no longer had to be in front of their PC in order to enter the giveaways,? Ms. Kim-Williams said. ?Advertisers benefit from increased reach due to the 38 percent increase in the number of contest participants.?

Final Take
Giselle Tsirulnik is senior editor at Mobile Marketer, New York