Millward Brown probes trend for branded tattoos

Research conducted by Millward Brown Mexico in July this year highlights a trend for branded tattoos that could see more use of the medium by brands globally.

The research was conducted to help local marketers better understand the branded tattoo phenomenon in Mexico and interviewed 1,660 people in Mexico city.

The results showed the following: 60 per cent of respondents aged over 13 said that they would consider having a tattoo; one in three claimed they'd be happy to commit the ultimate act of brand loyalty and have a brand name or logo tattooed on their body; one in four would not be comfortable having a branded tattoo but would consider a tattoo displaying initials, names, religious icons and flowers.

The top two brands respondents would have tattooed on any body part were global top-brands Coca-Cola and Nike (with Coca-Cola getting almost as many mentions as the next five combined).

This was followed by a mixture of local and global brands including: telecom brands Telcel and Movistar and sports brands adidas and Puma.

Brands with high brand loyalty were also featured including Harley Davidson.

Other brands that have used tattoos in their advertising include Chanel, Converse, Juicy Couture and Levi's.

Alfonso Diaz, a member of the research and development team at Millward Brown Mexico, said: "Tattooing is a ritual technique used since the stone-age that was often part of religious ceremonies - it is therefore maybe not wholly surprising that only top brands acquire the status needed to find their way under a person's skin".

The trend isn't limited to Mexico, however.

A quick search of 'tattooing' web sites will reveal tattoos of film stars and cartoon figures as common themes, which are really not so different from consumer brands.

One web site features pictures of consumers showing the logo of a computer manufacturer.

According to Diaz: "The term 'brand' is coming full circle - originally used to denominate an owner's mark on animals, it then became the mark of a manufacturer on a product and in more recent years many brands have become objects that consumers might want to associate themselves with even without owning the actual product.

"A brand tattoo symbolises the ultimate relationship between the consumer and the brand," he concluded.

"To create such a connection between your consumers and your brand you must first enter the consumer's mind, heart and life in such a way that the brand belongs to them.

"In fact, some say the final objective of branding should be to surrender a brand to the consumer.

"We could start to see more people using brands or logos in tattoos globally".

Top 10 brands Mexicans would tattoo are: 1 Coca-Cola; 2 Nike; 3 Sabritas; 4 Telcel; 5 Sol; 6 adidas; 7 Pepsi; 8 Movistar; 9 Ford; 10 Converse.

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