QR Codes Get Scanned.
StoryCodes® Get Remembered.
A QR code can feel like a digital scar. StoryCodes® make scanning part of the creative — attracting attention, sparking curiosity and inspiring action. They scan just like regular QR codes, while the StoryCodes Experience Platform delivers flexible, interactive and measurable experiences after every scan.
We hear this question often. A general AI tool can generate an attractive image — or something that resembles an artistic QR code. But a prompt alone cannot consistently preserve an encoded URL, offer meaningful creative freedom and produce a code reliable enough for real advertising.
That is why we built our own advanced artistic QR code generator specifically for advertising. It combines multiple AI models, specialised generation methods, dozens of adjustable parameters and an extensive library of presets. Together, they determine how the encoded structure, composition, contrast, visual detail and creative style interact.
Creating a StoryCode is therefore not a one-prompt process. It is a controlled workflow of generation, evaluation, refinement and real-world scannability testing, adapted to the brand, campaign and media surface. That combination of technology, presets, testing and accumulated expertise — not the prompt — is what makes StoryCodes difficult to reproduce reliably.
StoryCodes takes the familiar capabilities of a QR code generator — linking to any URL, updating destinations and measuring scans — and adapts them to the realities of advertising. Every StoryCode can be managed by campaign, creative, placement and media surface, while the Experience Platform determines what audiences discover after scanning. As more campaigns run, performance data helps us identify which scannable experiences generate the strongest results for different campaign objectives and channels, from connected TV and (D)OOH to print and packaging.
More on StoryCodes as a QR code generator →
Every StoryCode contains an encoded URL. This will usually be a short link to the StoryCodes® Experience Platform, which then delivers the experience the marketer has defined. That experience can be updated, personalised and measured without changing the StoryCode itself.
We can also embed a URL that links directly to your website or campaign page. However, the longer the URL, the more data the StoryCode must encode. This creates a denser, noisier structure, leaving less visual freedom and potentially reducing scannability. Using a short platform URL gives us the greatest flexibility to combine creative quality with reliable performance.
See what the Experience Platform does with that URL →
Both StoryCodes below use the same generation prompt and produce a very similar image — the difference is the length of the encoded URL, one short and one long.
A generic black-and-white QR code is easy to counterfeit: every one looks the same, so a fraudulent sticker placed over a real code is invisible to the eye. This exact vulnerability — often called quishing, or QR code phishing — has been flagged publicly by the FBI and FTC, and QR codes now appear in roughly one in eight phishing attacks.
A StoryCode is different. Whether it is integrated into the campaign creative or added as an overlay, it is a visually complex and distinctive image rather than a standardised black-and-white pattern. Replacing it convincingly would require recreating its specific combination of imagery, colour, texture and encoded structure around a different malicious URL — not simply generating another QR code and printing a sticker.
More on quishing and QR code security →
Once generated, every StoryCode is tested for real-world scannability. We scan it with different devices and cameras, from different angles and distances, and under varying lighting conditions. We also consider how and where it will appear — from a magazine held in someone’s hands to a billboard viewed from across the street.
If necessary, we adjust the design and test it again. Because a StoryCode should not only look remarkable — it has to work when your audience sees it.
Use one StoryCode across OOH, print, packaging and Pause Ads for a shared experience and a unified view of engagement.
For channel-specific journeys, visually consistent StoryCodes® can link to different experiences — preserving campaign consistency while delivering greater relevance and more granular analytics.
One platform. Every type of code.
Choose how scanning fits into your campaign — from a familiar QR code to a StoryCode designed as part of the campaign visual. Every option can connect to the StoryCodes® Experience Platform for dynamic content and measurable interactions.
A StoryCode is designed into the campaign visual rather than added as a separate QR element. It can take shape through products, characters, textures or complete scenes — or become part of a complete Pause Ad created from your brand assets and campaign message.
Explore StoryCode Pause Ads →Already have finished campaign creative? We can add a distinctive StoryCode as a scannable visual layer, introducing interaction without rebuilding the original design.
When a familiar QR format is preferred, we customize it with your brand colours, logo and visual identity. It remains instantly recognizable as a QR code while fitting naturally into the campaign.
For campaigns where simplicity and familiarity come first, choose a conventional QR code. Connected to the StoryCodes® Experience Platform, it still supports updateable destinations, contextual content and scan analytics.
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