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Brilliant marketing or dangerous distraction in Bucktown?
But some are asking, is it a tempting offer or a traffic risk? Kasey Chronis is live with what we found.
CHICAGO - A bright yellow billboard in Bucktown offering a free burrito has drivers taking notice — and raising questions about safety.
To claim the offer, you'd need to pull out your cellphone, prompting concerns about distracted driving.
This week, a social media post about the ad sparked hundreds of interactions online, and now local officials are taking notice. The situation begs the question: Should QR codes be allowed on billboards?
What we know:
The billboard, located near Damen and Elston, is turning heads. But is the promise of a free meal brilliant marketing or a recipe for distraction?
The advertisement is positioned in clear sight of drivers who are traveling south over the Damen Avenue bridge.
The offer itself — in bold letters — isn't the concern; it's the giant QR code next to it.
Some online, and others we spoke with, admit they'd be tempted to scan it — even behind the wheel.
"The thought crossed my mind, for sure," shared Carter Smith, a community member.
Smith said he recently spotted the ad while walking to the gym.
"I haven't scanned it, but I have snapped a picture of it to send to my friends who love burritos — I was walking, I wasn't driving," Smith added.
So who is behind it?
The ad takes you to the app for Guzman y Gomez Mexican Kitchen, a restaurant chain with eight locations in the Chicago area. The company's Bucktown location opened in December.
The offer appears to be legitimate. After scanning the code and downloading the app, a "free burrito" voucher appeared within 15 minutes, FOX Chicago found.
"What is it doing to distract drivers, if anything? That's usually the first question," shared 32nd Ward Alderman Scott Waguespack.
Waguespack said his office was made aware of the ad this week. He tells us there are restrictions for highway billboards, but this is up for debate.
"If you're on the highway, there's restrictions in terms of the changing images, so they can't change the images so fast that a driver is distracted by one, two, three ads going up in quick succession," Waguespack explained, referring to digital billboards.
Still, he's asked the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) to look into the "Free Burrito" billboard.
"This is super busy in the morning, basically people going to work downtown or to the suburbs; there's a highway entrance right nearby," Waguespack said. "Obviously, we're starting to get contacted in a way that's like, 'hey, this could be a distraction,' but the thing I would say to that is that if it's not offensive, it's a free speech issue, then you as a driver have to be responsible for the way you drive, and pulling out your phone to take a QR code is probably not responsible at all."
What they're saying:
On Thursday afternoon, a restaurant representative responded to FOX Chicago's inquiry, clarifying that the billboard should have come down by now.
The statement said, in part:
"The Billboard went up in mid-December to promote the grand opening of the newest Guzman y Gomez location at 1624 N Damen Ave. The contract was for one month and the Billboard should have been taken down in mid-January. We have reached out to the Billboard company and requested that the billboard be taken down."
The spokesperson also noted that customers can still access the offer by downloading the app and signing up for the rewards program.
What's next:
FOX Chicago reached out to the Chicago Department of Transportation but did not immediately receive a response. We also contacted Outfront, the company responsible for the advertising on the billboard, but have not heard back.
The Source: This story contains reporting from Fox Chicago's Kasey Chronis.