Last year, two organizations were fighting to break the world record for the largest functioning QR code ever built. Hackerspace Charlotte, an artistic collective focused on digital media, and Skanz, a social networking platform specializing in QR codes, both succeeded in building massive codes. Unfortunately, their efforts may have been for naught, as a new competitor emerged last week and showed off its own gargantuan QR code. Air Fest, a provider of day camps and schools for children in Canada, has taken the title of champion with their staggering creation.
Air Fest’s code measures a mammoth 15,625 square feet, beating out both codes from Skanz and Hackerspace by at least 5,000 feet. The code resolves to a mobile website where smart phone users can find information on the code and its construction. They will also find details about the company and why it chose to make the world’s largest QR code. The code can only be scanned from an altitude of 1,000 feet, but Air Fest was prepared with a helicopter to take a picture of the code from that height in order to allow other to scan it in the future.
Giant QR codes are currently considered a novelty hobby. Some companies have shown an interest in using massive codes as a way to catch attention or exploit satellite imagery for free marketing. Giant codes certainly generate a fair amount of buzz and have yet to be met with a negative response.
