Advertisers are always searching for new real estate to post their message. On the wall, on the airwaves, in the press, on personal media - even the floors of supermarkets and backs of toilet doors. Well let me bring the glad news of seven billion new ad sites. People!
The trend is world-wide and it’s already here in Australia. People are selling ad space on their bodies. The gym franchise Anytime Fitness has brought us their “tattoo reward”. Ten years ago, in the US, they started giving any customer or trainer a reward for having their logo tattooed. The trend took off and they now estimate that more than 2000 people have their “running man” logo somewhere on their body.
Rapid Realty in Brooklyn took the monetary step: they offered a 15% increased commission to any employee who donned the company logo. This also turned into a success.
As well as international publicity, they won over scores of employees to displaying their company devotion.
Would you show such devotion to a company or a product? After all, tattoos are for life, companies seldom are.
Chuck Runyon, founder of Anytime Fitness and the one who has been paying the “tariffs”, claims it is not the money, in his case:
"Hundreds and hundreds of people have told us why they got the tattoo, and it has never been about the money or the brand," he says.
“Many say they got the tattoo to mark the fact they had achieved something they never thought was possible, such as losing a considerable amount of weight, or feeling healthy."
If you feel your devotion is not quite eternal, the answer is temporary tattoos. The trend made the news in 2001 when cheerleaders for Lincoln Lightning’s indoor football team put tattoo ads on their midriffs. The tattoos had better be temporary because not long after, the team discontinued.
The problem with such a permanent commitment is that life - and especially work - can be so impermanent. It’s hard enough to resign from a gym membership as it is - the internet is crowded with complaints about gym exit fees and long cancellation times (I hasten to add that in this I am not referring to Anytime Fitness).
But having to remove the tattoo as well? That is certainly a case of no pain no gain.
Currently the highest profile tattoo story also comes from the States, no less than the New York Times. When Jill Abramson was made Executive Editor, she was first woman in the role through the history of the institution. She was so proud that she had a large gothic “T” tattooed on her back. Which was fine, until she got sacked recently.
A fiery argument over the media - including the point that during her tenure NYT reports had won four Pulizer Prizes - could not save her job. So, she was later asked, will she remove the tattoo? Her answer came with determination: “No way”.
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