Barcodes, those monotonous symbols of our consumer civilization that make us pay for every product in the world, have received some pretty extreme makeover in Japan.

Since 2005, a Shibuya-based design agency D-Barcode has been turning those conventional black and white lines into unique and inventive creations.

Their artistic but fully-functional barcodes, which you can find on some Japanese grocery product packaging, usually incorporate the company logos or images associated with the product.

But it’s not just about cute pictures — it’s pretty clever marketing, too. Sometimes one product comes with different barcode designs — like the Jagarico potato snacks — so it might even cause you to go hunting for more, to start your collection.