How to Use QR Codes for Brand Collaborations: Ideas, Examples, and Tracking in 2026

A QR Code used for a brand collaboration provides both partners with a scannable path from print, packaging, or screens to a shared offer. QR Codes for brand collaborations let each brand reach the other’s audience without asking anyone to type a URL.

Many partnerships stall when neither brand can prove what drove results. With QRCG, every scan becomes a measurable result that both partners can see, compare, and act on.

Key takeaways

• Co-branded QR Codes give both partners one scannable path from print, packaging, and screens to the same offer.
• Customized QR Codes see a 3.8x increase in scans compared to uncustomized codes, so add both logos and shared colors.
• Dynamic QR Codes let you edit the destination after printing and track scans for every partner placement.
• Coca-Cola and Marvel put scannable codes on limited-edition packaging in 50+ countries to unlock AR stories and prize entries.
• Separate codes for each partner and placement show you which brand, channel, and audience drove the most scans.

Why use QR Codes for brand collaborations

QR Codes for brand collaborations connect a partner’s offline audience to a shared digital offer with a single scan. That setup makes mutual promotion practical: Each brand puts the other in front of a new, relevant audience. Choose a partner whose customers fit your offer and who doesn’t directly compete with you.

According to Shopify’s retail guide, brand collaborations help retailers reach new audiences. A QR Code helps turn that borrowed attention into a visit, a sign-up, or a sale.

Design shapes how many people scan, and customized QR Codes see a 3.8x increase in scans compared to uncustomized codes. 

To put both brands on one code, follow our guide to custom QR Codes with colors and logos.

Here’s how a QR Code compares with a plain link in co-marketing.

Ways to use QR Codes in a brand collaboration

Each channel below pairs a short definition with one partner scenario you can adapt. Use this menu of QR Codes for brand collaborations to meet both audiences where they already spend time.

Websites

A QR Code on a partner’s website moves desktop visitors to a joint mobile offer. Visitors scan once and continue on their phone, which helps when the offer lives in an app or a mobile checkout.

Collab idea: A partner brand shows your co-branded discount code on its product page. They place the QR Code right next to the offer so shoppers connect the two.

Emails

A QR Code in an email bridges desktop reading and mobile action, such as saving a coupon or opening a ticket. Someone reading on a laptop can scan the offer once and carry it into the store or event on their phone.

Collab idea: Both partners send a co-branded newsletter with one shared QR Code for a joint event ticket. Readers scan to add the ticket or a wallet coupon to their phone. Our QR Code email marketing guide covers more placement and design tips.

Packaging

Co-branded packaging turns every product into a direct entry point to the partnership. Put the code on the outside of the pack, or on inserts, manuals, and coupons inside the box.

Collab idea: A limited-edition pack unlocks partner content, like the Coca-Cola x Marvel campaign we talk about in the next section. Use a Dynamic QR Code so you can refresh that content during the same print run. Our smart packaging QR Code guide provides more information on the available formats.

Mailers

A QR Code on a mailer turns a printed partner offer into a trackable online visit. Direct mail reaches people at home, where they have time to scan and browse.

Collab idea: Two brands share a direct mail insert, each with its own code for its own list. You then see which list responded better. Read our direct mail QR Code guide for layout ideas.

Banners and out-of-home

Banners and out-of-home ads let passersby join a partner promotion on the spot. A QR Code gives people who may never visit your website a way to act.

Collab idea: An event sponsor shows a co-branded banner that opens a joint giveaway. Use high contrast and a large code so people can scan it from a distance. Our QR Code advertising guide covers more information on ad placements.

Video advertising

An on-screen QR Code lets viewers act on a co-branded video ad without having to type a URL. A shared sponsored slot also splits the media cost between both partners.

Collab idea: An influencer brand collaboration shows a partner code during a sponsored video. Keep the code on screen long enough for viewers to reach for their phones. See our video marketing QR Code guide for timing tips.

Design co-branded QR Codes both partners approve

A co-branded QR Code should look like it belongs to both brands. Run through this checklist before you print:

• Place both logos near or inside the code.
• Use shared or complementary brand colors with strong contrast.
• Add a frame CTA that names the partner offer, like “Scan for the joint discount.”
• Test the final code on several phones before printing.

Here’s a quick summary of each channel.

Real brand collaborations that used QR Codes

Big consumer brands use QR Codes for brand collaborations on packaging, turning a partnership into an experience fans want to scan.

Note: The brands and examples discussed below were found during our online research for this article.

Coca-Cola x Marvel (2024)

• Partners: Coca-Cola and Marvel. Coca-Cola launched limited-edition Marvel packaging in 2024.
• Where the code lived: Limited-edition packaging showing 30+ Marvel characters across 50+ countries.
• What the scan unlocked: AR animations for each hero or villain, plus prize entries.
• Takeaway: Tie each code to partner content that fans want to collect.

Monster Energy x Call of Duty (2024 and 2025)

• Partners: Monster Energy and Call of Duty. The brands announced can scans for in-game rewards in 2024.
• Where the code lived: Limited-edition Monster Energy cans.
• What the scan unlocked: The Monster and Call of Duty site, where gamers claimed in-game rewards.
• Takeaway: The promo returned in 2025 after the 2024 program’s success and ran into early 2026.

Both campaigns follow the same pattern: The code is on a product people already buy, and scanning it rewards them with partner content.

Keep the message consistent across partners

Message match means the scan destination repeats the exact offer printed next to the code. If the code promises 20% off, the landing page must show 20% off.

QR Codes for brand collaborations lose trust when a scan leads to a mismatched page. The risk grows in a partnership because each brand controls different pieces of the campaign.

Build one shared destination with our QR Code landing page guide. We also offer built-in mobile landing pages, so partners can launch without a shared website.

Use this partner checklist before launch:

• Agree on one shared landing page that shows both brands.
• Approve the offer copy with both partners before printing.
• Name one owner who can edit the Dynamic QR Code destination.
• Set an end date and a plan for where the code points afterward.

Track results for each partner

When you run QR Codes for brand collaborations, give each partner and placement its own Dynamic QR Code. Separate codes show which partner drove each scan, so both brands can see what worked.

Follow these 5 steps to compare performance across partners and campaigns:

1. Create a Dynamic QR Code for each partner and each placement.
2. Add UTM parameters to each destination URL, like utm_source=partnername&utm_medium=qr&utm_campaign=springcollab.
3. Label the codes and sort them into folders by campaign in your account.
4. Export scan statistics to CSV and share one report with both partners.
5. Compare scans, sessions, and conversions across partners and campaigns.

For the final step, our QR Code conversion rate guide explains how to measure and improve conversions. Static QR Codes cannot track scans, so save them for fixed information like Wi-Fi details or a product manual.

Use this template to compare results across partners.

Pull scans from your scan statistics, and pull sessions and conversions from your web analytics tool.

Start your next co-branded QR Code campaign

A partnership pays off when both brands can see what each scan delivered. QR Codes for brand collaborations work when you pick the right channels, match the message, and track each partner. Start with one shared offer, one design both brands approve, and one code per placement.

Sign up for QRCG today and create branded, trackable QR Codes for your next brand collaboration.

Frequently asked questions

What is a co-branded QR Code?

A co-branded QR Code is a scannable code that shows the logos and colors of two partner brands. It sends people to one shared offer, page, or experience. Both brands reach each other’s audience with a single code.

Can both brands track QR Code scans?

Yes, both brands can track scans when you use Dynamic QR Codes. Create one code for each partner, then export the scan statistics to CSV. Share one report so both teams see the same results.

Should we use Dynamic or Static QR Codes for a brand partnership?

Use Dynamic QR Codes for most brand partnerships. They let you edit the destination after printing and track scans. Static QR Codes stay free forever, but you cannot edit their content or track scans.

Where should co-branded QR Codes go?

Put co-branded QR Codes where both audiences already look. Strong spots include packaging, mailers, emails, banners, partner websites, and video ads. For more placement ideas, read our QR Code advertising guide.

How do QR Codes help in email marketing campaigns?

QR Codes help email readers move from a desktop screen to their phones with a single scan. Readers can save a coupon, open an event ticket, or visit a mobile page. Our email marketing guide covers more tactics.

How do you compare QR Code performance across partner campaigns?

Give each partner and placement its own Dynamic QR Code with UTM parameters. Then compare scans, sessions, and conversions side by side in one shared report. Our QR Code conversion rate guide explains the conversion step.