Making UPC barcodes less boring

I always assumed messing around with your product’s barcode for marketing purposes was, like, a violation of the Geneva Convention or something. Like if you tried to turn your packaging’s boring rectangular barcode into a zebra, or whatever, you’d start to get late-night phone calls from Brussels: “Nice supply chain you have there. Be a shame if something were to, you know, happen to it.” Turns out nobody really cares, so long as it scans, and there’s now a Japanese firm that specializes in barcode funification (although it seems like any competent graphic designer could probably do it just as well). [via Neatorama]