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Advertisers Look To Make Mark With Tattoo-Centric Ads

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 30, 2007

Once seen as a silent cry of rebellion, tattoos now possess a status so firmly mainstream that advertisers are using them to market tires, shoes and wine.

That has its downside, though. The more acceptable tattoos become, the more they lose their edginess - and their value as advertising.

"There is always an element of rebellion or rite of passage with these things," said David Crockett, assistant professor of marketing at the University of South Carolina. "What makes them interesting is how the marketplace appropriates that rebelliousness and serves that back to you in the form of an energy drink."

Nation/World, Page 19

•The 7-Eleven chain recently started selling an energy drink aimed at people who either have tattoos or those who want to think of themselves as the tattoo type.

•For those friendly to the idea of being a walking billboard, the Web site Leaseyourbody.com connects advertisers with people who want to be paid for sporting tattoo advertisements.

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