Can't say how effective this campaign can be, but I'm glad QR codes are now officially included in the list of bullshit. Can't agree more.
At least in Dublin, Ireland you can still see them, e.g. on bus stops, sometimes on brochures here and there and as a rule the context suggests they should just lead to an ad and nothing else.
For example, I print QR codes on the back of my business cards containing a VCard record, to make it easier to import them into an address book if needed. Or at home, I have a QR code that automatically populates credentials for my WiFi network when guests come over. It's also the easiest way to add a TOTP code to Authy or Google Authenticator.
I like to think these are reasonable uses.
iBeacon is bullshit. I sincerely hope it'll turn into something useful with time, but for now, it's just a toy for advertisers.
Also, solutions add up. In our local Hackerspace, we often used a combination of QR code, plaintext credentials and an NFC sticker for things like Wi-Fi access and switching lights on/off wirelessly.
Isn't this almost certainly done better with a link to a vcard file?
Not to mention that giving someone a business card with a link to download contact data is just wrong on many different levels. It's using a very wrong tool for the job. To put a contact file on-line you have to host it somewhere. Then the person you gave the card to has to retype the URL. URL that, like with most of the Internet, will probably be dead in six months.
Generally, the solution to the problem of digitizing the data you have physically in your hand should not involve sending packets around half of the globe.
QR codes are an international standard, have plenty of good libraries to generate and process them, can store more information, have excellent error correction, and easily scan from odd angles.
Other types of bar codes... not so much.