The QR or Quick Response Code is a type of two-dimensional barcode often used by large companies in their products to link to their websites, but, just as with all websites, it takes some time to maintain the permits to use it - and one German user found out the hard way that the Heinz QR code wasn't updated.
A German customer identified as Daniel Korell scanned the Heinz QR code to access further information about his ketchup bottle, to absurd results: instead of reaching a family-friendly website about a condiment company, he found himself at a local porn site.
According to The Verge, after Korell tried to use the Heinz QR code with different phones while getting the same results, he decided to directly contact the Pennsylvania-based company, writing on their Facebook that he was thinking their ketchup "probably isn't for minors," while criticizing the food processing giant about the incident.
The Guardian reports that this Heinz QR code in particular was used for a particular contest that happened between 2012 and 2014, called "Spread the word with Heinz," later leaving the domain "sagsmithheinz.de" to time out after the end of the competition last year - and the domain was later purchased by a German porn company.
"The bottle may be a remnant, but it is certainly still present in many households," said Korell to Heinz. "It is incomprehensible that you cannot secure the domain for at least one or two years. A .com domain really does not cost the world."
The company profusely apologized for the Heinz QR code incident, saying that they'd be rectifying issues with their online content after expiration in the future.
It speaks a lot about the general unpopularity of QR codes that this is the first time this happens, even though the site stopped belonging to the company for more than a year.
According to UPI, Heinz offered Korell to have his own custom-designed bottle for free as a compensation for the Heinz QR code problem, as well as asking for his suggestions in future campaigns - and it has been reported that the site that took over the domain also offered Korell free membership.
