QR codes are ideal for fan engagement – until they lead to porn

QR codes are a fun, easy way for brands to engage consumers both off and on the Internet. They’re also capable of sending unsuspecting customers to porn websites.

Just ask Daniel Korell, a German gentleman who was sent to camgirl site Fundorado after scanning a QR code on a bottle of Heinz ketchup (if you’re not sure what a “camgirl site” is, take my advice and look it up when you’re out of the office).

According to Gawker, after Korell made Heinz aware of where the QR code sent him, the company apologized, saying “we really regret the event very much.”

Let this be a lesson to every franchise brand out there: If the ketchup kings at Heinz can fall victim to a bad link, you can too.

Or, to put it in simpler terms: Engaging with fans online? Good! Sending said fans to pornographic websites? Bad!