Check it Out: I Can See My QR Code From Here!

Physical billboards can leave lasting impressions based on their designs, while QR codes all look the same. Unless there’s some other design element that wasn’t included in any of the articles I’ve read about this, people won’t even know what company, product or service the QR code is advertising.

My other problem with this is that you have to take a picture to scan the QR code. Chances are pretty good that a consumer is most likely looking up a store location via their smartphone. Is there a way to scan the QR code while it’s in the Google Earth app? Wouldn’t you have to print out the code to scan it? Or could you take a screenshot, then scan that? Or would you have to use another smartphone to scan the code on your smartphone? Any way you look at this scenario, it sounds way too complicated and involves way too many steps. Consumers want information fast and easy. This is pretty much the exact opposite.

What if the Google Earth website or app crashes? Well, when the one place it’s easiest to scan QR codes (in this scenario) crashes, this type of advertising is pointless. As far as I know, Google Earth will do nothing to promote these QR codes. And who really goes to Google Earth to access information about products? The site seems a bit of a mismatch of interests.

Yes, it’s an awesome idea and cool concept to be able to access information and marketing messages from space, but honestly I don’t see the practicality. I’ll compare this concept to corn mazes and crop circles. They might be cool to look at from above, but there usefulness is limited.