Tattoos as Ads; Really? Still?

Advertisers and entrepreneurs have long seen the human body as a potential bill board. The sandwich board and branded clothing are child's play in comparison with the Australian-based TelePAK ad vest, which boasts a TV that runs advertising spots. And let's not forget the man who received a $30,000 offer after posting his forehead as advertising space on eBay.

Then you have tattoos. For the last three years Dunlop's been giving a free set of tires to anyone who'll tattoo the Flying D logo somewhere on their body. So far, 98 people have gotten inked. Dunlop may be a little off the mark if they think people choose to brand themselves because they "see this as an opportunity to show their ultimate commitment to Dunlop by permanently displaying our logo on their bodies." It's more likely they see an opportunity to get something free, as evidenced by the one guy who has three Flying D's (the extra two coinciding with his need for replacement tires). If it was just about brand loyalty, people would do it for free, like Apple enthusiasts do.

How effective can this really be? First of all, people can get the tattoos anywhere on their bodies. Most likely, few people would choose prominent placement if they don't have to. (Casa Sanchez in San Francisco found this out when it offered free lunch for life in exchange for logo tattoos. The result: people with logos on their butts and armpits, and a $5.8 million dollar promise of free food.) Secondly, after three years, Dunlop has just 98 branded people to show for their creative marketing. How many people can they really reach that way?

Dunlop may see this is a sign of the brand's coolness factor -- that tattooed people buy Dunlop tires and like them so much, they want Dunlop ink. But nowadays, everyone (and their mother) has a tattoo. If people are to take notice, the ink needs to be on someone already in the public eye, and there needs to be an easily identifiable connection between the wearer and the cause. Otherwise, people may just find it annoying -- if not somewhat sad.

(Apple Logo Tattoo image courtesy of powerbooktrance, cc 2.0)