2D Barcodes or Matrix Codes are similar to the traditional Barcode used to catalog goods at a store but they can be used to give information back to the viewer.
The user simply has to install a program onto their cellphone and take a picture of the barcode. The program decodes the Barcode and the user’s phone opens a browser and subsequently an internet site. 2D barcodes can be any size, used in almost any physical environment (TV commercials, internet, billboards etc.) and allows the advertiser to instantly see who is looking at their ads, where they have viewed them from and many other specific details depending on the software on their side.
In Japan the 2D Barcode has even been placed on tombstones. The grave visitor takes a picture of the Barcode on the gravestone and their phone brings up more information about the deceased person, pictures of them or any other content the family or pre-deceased and now occupant so chooses. In spain they are being used to contain detailed train maps to make travel easier and The Washington Post is using Matrix technology to give subscribers reward points when they scan their phone at certain retailers. Heineken even used them in the UK to create an interactive game whereupon users scanned Heineken Barcodes looking for hidden Alien graphics that would win them prizes. Most interestingly the Holland Inovation Fair placed a code on each visitor’s badge and each presentor’s tent. The visitors didn’t have to exchange business cards if they wanted to learn more about eachother’s ideas. They simply scanned the other person’s barcode and their information was sent to their cellphone through SMS.
The 2D Barcode is revolutionizing advertising and communication because it allows the viewer to talk back and instantly interact with the material they are viewing. The possibilities are as endless as the number of people with access to the web and a cell phone.
