The QR codes are featured in the company’s “The Great Big Toys R Us Book” catalog. The mobile bar codes lead to additional multimedia content about select products.

“We know kids and parents eagerly await the coming of The Great Big Toys R Us Book every year, and by placing QR codes throughout the 2011 edition of this book, it becomes an even more engaging experience as we bring to life some of the hottest products of the year with product videos and other dynamic content,” said Bob Friedland, a spokesman for Toys R Us, Wayne, NJ.

Toysrus.com is the Web portal for Toys R Us Inc., one of the biggest toy retailers in the world. The company operates 1,550 stores, including 849 Toys R Us and Babies R Us stores in the United States and more than 700 international stores in 33 countries.

Scan me
The QR codes featured in The Great Big Toys R Us Book are found on various pages throughout the catalog.

The mobile bar codes offer additional information about select products and even showcase toys in action.

For example, the QR code associated with Air Swimmers eXtreme, a flying fish, leads to a commercial that shows the toy swimming through the air.

“The Great Big Toys R Us Book will arrive in newspapers nationwide and Toys R Us stores this weekend,” Mr. Friedland said.

“Additionally, customers have already started receiving copies of the catalog in their mailboxes,” he said. “We are also advertising The Great Big Toys R Us Book in television ads as well as distributing information about it through the official Toys R Us Facebook page and Twitter stream.”

In addition to the new QR code campaign, consumers can shop for all the toys featured online via their mobile phones through Toys R Us’ dedicated mobile site.

Additionally, beginning on Friday, members of the official Toys R Us Facebook fan page will find a preview of all the great toys and deals featured.

Mobile strategy
Toys R Us has been steadily building up its mobile repertoire.

In August, Toys R Us announced that it will run a new pilot program this fall that rewards consumers just by stepping into its stores.

The company is working with shopkick on the mobile initiative. The pilot program will bring shopkick’s walk-in rewards and special deals to 100 select Toys R Us and Babies R Us stores in four markets including Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco (see story).

Most recently, the company was one of several national retail brands that tested a new program offered by The Associated Press and 40 newspapers that makes traditional weekly printed circulars available on mobile news sites (see story).

“Toys R Us is committed to helping customers find the products they’re looking for wherever and whenever they choose to shop with us,” Mr. Friedland said.

“The incorporation of QR codes into The Great Big Toys R Us Book, on other marketing collateral and in-store product signs is a great way for us to provide information to customers about our product assortment, while bringing them directly to our mobile commerce site to help them purchase the products they’re looking for,” he said.

Final Take
Rimma Kats is staff reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York