From appearing at the back cover of almost every product to making it to the skies, QR codes have lifted their game.
The huge QR code was formed in the skies over Shanghai and got fame like a wildfire burns a forest. Presenting the public with such a humongous QR code was made possible using approximately 1,500 drones that were altogether controlled by a computer.
Video streaming platform, Bilbili was behind the setup. The first-ever QR code in the skies is an example of how advertising is shaping over time and how it would be like in the future in ways that catch the attention of everyone passing by.
The massive QR code got the Chinese people talking with a huge advertisement. This innovation in advertisement got the attention of everyone around the world, the people who weren’t even there to scan the magical QR code in the skies. How? Because it went viral on all social media platforms, and it will take some time for stuff like this to get normalized in the coming times.
Upon scanning the QR code, the scanners found an advertisement that celebrated the first anniversary of “Princess Connect,” a Japanese game unveiled a year ago in China. Once done celebrating, the drones changed the QR code’s formation to show depictions of the characters in the game. Another formation showed the viewers with a message stating “Happy Birthday.” Later, the final formation of the drones made a QR code which, upon being scanned, took to a link for downloading Princess Connect.
There were some critics too
While the new way of advertising was applauded by the most, some criticized it, saying “Dystopian light pollution.” The promotional act, all in all, was awe-inspired by the most. The QR code formation in the skies was the first-ever. However, Bilbili pulled off a similar massive QR code stunt earlier as well, where they formed it on one side of their company building.
“The reason something like this works in China is that QR codes are everywhere,” he explained. “Adding a friend on a messaging app? Scan their QR Code. Sending a payment to someone or a retailer? Scan their QR Code. QR codes never took off this way in the West. In China, they are familiar.”
Drone technology is aiding for many purposes, ranging from dropping explosives in Mexico by drug cartels on their adversaries to being used as a creative and attractive advertisement tool. China is leading the use of drones for advertisement, where recently, Hyundai employed more than 3,000 drones to make its logo over the skies in Shanghai.