Katy Perry attended the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards as the Video Vanguard Awardee for the year. She drew a lot of buzz on the red carpet. But it wasn't for the Who Decides War outfit. Instead, it was about what was tattooed on her skin. On her lower back, you see a QR code etched in black ink.
Those who scanned it found a pre-save link to Perry's upcoming album, 143. It's a clever little marketing trick to promote her music. And whether you consider it "unserious" or "genius," it got people talking about what she has in the pipeline. She isn't the first to use QR codes for marketing. Remember how Coinbase crashed its app because of sudden interest after its QR code ad during the Super Bowl back in 2022?