QR a mobile marketing staple in Japan

I notice that mobile marketing enabled by QR codes is already widely adopted in Japan. This was in a train station for instance.

What is QR? According to Wikipedia,

A QR Code is a matrix code (or two-dimensional bar code) created by Japanese corporation Denso-Wave in 1994. The "QR" is derived from "Quick Response", as the creator intended the code to allow its contents to be decoded at high speed. QR Codes are common in Japan, where they are currently the most popular type of two dimensional codes.

QR codes enable a non-interactive medium like a billboard, a magazine, or card, or a product pack even to become interactive. Users need only to snap a photo of the QR code using a phone (with the reader software installed) and users can be redirected to a URL.

In the Philippines, the only noticeable campaign that utilized QR was Nescafe. It hasn't been followed, and the effectivity of QR in the Philippines is still in doubt.

Japan is widely different compared to ASEAN countries in terms of the mobile industry. Instead of SMS, people do mobile internet and mobile emails.