subject: Tattoo Machines | The Rise of the Brand Tattoo [print this page] Tattoo Machines | The Rise of the Brand Tattoo
It's no secret we live in a materialistic culture where branding is everything; from designer handbags to shampoo and from tattoo machines to beer most of us have our go-to labels for most of our purchases.
But what happens when you love a brand so much you want it tattooed on you? Sounds crazy right? Not for the legions of people who go under the needle to swear their allegiance to their favourite sportswear, fast food or technology companies.
I mean, I love Diet Coke, and I drink WAY too much of itbut getting a can of it tattooed on meno thanks! So what makes someone get a logo that a marketing agency has come up with, tattooed on them and not something that their own personality and ideas have gone into?
Is it that we just can't escape advertising? Is it so ingrained in us to want more, buy the latest upgrade, copy our idols and keep up with the Joneses that this rampant consumerism even extends to showing how brand-savvy we are by tattooing the Gucci logo on our arm?
Or does the person in question genuinely feel that their personality is best represented by the Nike logo after all, the slogan Just Do It' sounds pretty daring and devil-may-care! And the guy with the Lacoste crocodile or Ralph Lauren polo player on his chest? Maybe he really feels these designs best sum up his stylish existence.
Some brand tattoos do indicate a lifestyle take Harley Davidson, who own the dubious honour of being the most tattooed brand in the world. Maybe that's more understandable as riding a Harley is a lifestyle choice, a hobby and says something about a person. But can the same be said for the Chanel logo, for example?
Chanel themselves seem to think so, even going as far as introducing temporary Chanel tattoos (albeit very beautiful ones) early last year. How's that for the establishment taking over?
Of course then we come to the people who flip the bird to brand loyalty and personal taste and turn getting a tattoo into a get-rich-quick scheme. The most famous examples being the goldenpalace.com' woman who sold her forehead to a casino for $10,000 and the guy who auctioned his forehead space to the highest bidder on eBay. Entrepreneurs or just plain nuts?
The moral of the story: stop for a moment before you hit your local tattoo studio and ask for a bottle of Jack Daniels to be inked on your right calf because is that really the message you want to give? I enjoy a JD and coke as much as the next person, but maybe something a little more personal and a little less I spend all my spare time in a whiskey-induced haze' might be better in the long term.
So, if you're looking to get tattooed but you can't get beyond wanting that McDonald's or Microsoft logo, take a moment to check out the web there are thousands of websites to inspire you - from sites with flashes to tattoo studios and tattoo machine and equipment suppliers. Have a Google. You won't regret it. Just do it.
