DOWN Dating App Promoted With Fake Parking Tickets at US University

Hundreds of fake parking tickets placed on cars at the University of North Texas were actually advertisements for dating app DOWN. The tickets appeared in the university’s Highland Street Parking Garage in early September and included a QR code linked to the dating app.

The tickets were printed on thin, shiny paper and designed to resemble parking citations. Instead of demanding payment, however, they encouraged students to go out on Friday night. UNT Transportation Services warned students about the tickets and advised them not to scan the QR code. The university also pointed out that placing promotional material on vehicles without permission violates its solicitation policy.

Students had mixed reactions to the stunt. One student described finding the ticket on her car as “creepy”, while another found the idea funny. UNT Transportation Services said it regularly encounters businesses leaving advertising on vehicles, but that advertisers do not normally create material designed to look like an official citation.

Fake parking tickets are not a new guerrilla marketing tactic. Businesses have used them to attract attention before, often generating backlash from drivers who initially believe they have received a real fine. The format has become even more questionable as fake parking tickets and QR codes are also used by scammers to direct drivers to fraudulent payment websites. In this case, there was no request for money and the QR code simply promoted DOWN.

It certainly got attention;) And research suggests there can be a fine line between irritation and effective advertising. A 2022 study of 272 university students found that entertainment was one of the strongest drivers of advertising value. Irritation, on the other hand, weakened attitudes towards advertising and purchase intention. Fake parking tickets potentially deliver both: surprise and entertainment, but also that initial moment of annoyance.