- Spokenote promises to make it easier to attach data to physical items
- Shirt sponsorship is first of its kind in North America
The National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Indiana Pacers will have a QR code on their jersey this season as part of a sponsorship deal with technology company Spokenote.
QR codes are machine-readable blocks of code that use a set of black and white squares to store data – usually a URL – that can be read by a scanner or a smartphone’s camera.
This is the first time a North American sports franchise has displayed a QR code on its uniform, with the Pacers hoping to drive engagement through the offering of exclusive content.
“We are excited to have Spokenote as our jersey patch partner, and their innovative product will allow us to engage our fans in many new and different ways,” said Todd Taylor, president and chief business officer of Pacers Sports & Entertainment. “We are extremely proud to help a local startup on its journey to becoming a widely known consumer brand.”
Spokenote hopes this activation will raise awareness of its “codeplus” technology that allows individuals and businesses to attach videos or messages to physical objects, with a personalized landing page.
“Spokenote is thrilled to join the Pacers, one of the hottest and most exciting young basketball teams, as a New Jersey Patch Partner, and we look forward to working alongside them to identify new new ways to engage fans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and beyond,” Spokenote said. general manager John Wechsler.
This is, however, not the first time a QR code has been used on sports equipment around the world, with English Football League (EFL) club Watford being among those to have carried out similar experiments as far back as 2012 .
