GS1 Barcodes And Brand Packaging Get With It

If you live together, you’re either cohabitating or married. One pretending that another doesn’t exist in the same house is just delusional or silly. So what’s up with the relationship between bar codes and brand packages?

This link takes you to a post about the constant battle waged between artistic graphic designers and the barcode. While the specific post celebrates the work of one master of barcode and art integration, especially in the field of music album cover art, there are additional links including one to GS1 and another to the results of a recent barcode design competition. [This is in addition to a fun outfit out of Japan and their for sale art-integrated barcodes for product.]

The underlying premise of the post is, of course, that barcodes are ugly, difficult to work with, but necessary. I have to agree, they can be tough to make brand-worthy. They are tough to make compelling or eye-grabbing. But they are part of the package, as necessary as the brand name itself.

I take the position – especially after viewing these creative samples — that the barcode has always been a very important, very integral, and much desired element of packaging and product branding, but never seen as such. Now, especially now, that barcodes worldwide are becoming consumers’ gateway to more information, more entertainment, more everything, they may become part of the brand.