Two students at the Brigham Young University in Utah have found a new use for QR codes. Tom Johnson, a law student at the university, along with his sister-in-law, Emily Peterson, have been posting codes all over the campus. The pair has posted the codes in places they think will get the most attention from tech-savvy students. When scanned, the code reveals details about a flash mob event that will occur on campus.
Flash mobs are a seemingly spontaneous gathering of people to act out a scripted scene or event. A lot of work and effort goes into successfully pulling off such an event as they are often complex choreographed routines that can take months to rehearse. The key to a successful flash mob is secrecy, which is why Johnson and Peterson elected to use QR codes in the first place.
The codes are still relatively unfamiliar with college students. They have been used extensively in marketing campaigns for a number of businesses, but such campaigns often target those that have already graduated. Use of the codes in a campus setting, whether it be for academic or entertainment purposes, has been limited.
So far, a number of enthusiastic students have begun participating. In the future, Johnson wants to organize more flash mob performances outside of businesses hoping to entice donations to the university. He hopes that more students will make use of the codes for planning events as well, whether they be flash mobs or otherwise.
This creative use of QR codes has brought together students that would not normally interact with one another. It would seem that QR codes have more to offer than being the tool of a marketing campaign.
