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NEW YORK — The New York Acura Association, a cluster of three franchise dealers, is partnering with an auto-focused advertising agency on a new technology strategy intended to connect print and online marketing efforts more effectively.

The technology called QR, which is an abbreviation for quick response, is based on putting a small bar code within a print advertisement. Consumers then are invited to scan the bar code with a QR application available on many smartphones.

Officials explained that the application can send the user to a dealer's Web page, online video advertisement or Facebook page.

The dealerships in the association that are planning to use this technology include Paragon Acura, Rallye Acura and Acura of Westchester. The association collaborated with Level5 Advertising, who harnessed this bar-code technology which officials indicated previously was developed by Japanese researchers to index vehicle parts.

"For years, advertisers have dreamed of finding a way to connect the physical and digital worlds of advertising," Level5 officials stated.

"The innovative move offers both the ad industry and the auto industry, which depends on attractive print ads to showcase its newest models, a vehicle to navigate the transition from print to pixel, which the world is undergoing at the moment," they continued.

The debut QR Code appeared in the business section of the New York Times last week.

"It makes sense for Acura to be on the cutting edge of technology with our marketing and advertising. Our clients expect it," explained Brian Benstock, vice president and general manager of Paragon Acura.

"Introducing QR Code in our print advertising is a win for both the New York Acura Association and the New York Times," Benstock added.

For more details about QR Code Advertising, dealers can visit http://l5digital.com/contact-us.html.